What Is There To Do?
by EmberFall
Summary: Rainkit is what is considered a mistake. Her Parents, Clan, and any cat that looks at her face flinches. She is renamed on her mother's request, and is an outcast from everything she's even known. She finally finds a home and family in a place she never expected, accepts what she is, and love sprouts in the strangest of places, at the most ironic of times, it seems.
1. Open Your Eyes

**HELLO! I'm EmberFall! :) This is my second fan fiction, my first being "A Warriors Love Story, Plus Some" which, if you haven't read, I urge you to check out XD**

**Anyways, THIS IS CRUCIAL: look up "Venus The Cat" on Google Images… that is what Rainkit looks like xD it's a rare disease that happens when the hormones are split during birth, causing what is called the "split face disorder" **

**N'Joy the story! **

Rainkit was what Riverclan called a 'late bloomer'. She didn't open her eyes after the usual two days after birth. Oh, of course, she listened, she felt, she observed everything around her, but for some reason, she felt like she just shouldn't open her eyes.

Not yet, anyways.

Her mother, Skyheart, would often speak to her, begging her to open her eyes and face the world, but she just… didn't want to. She had a bad feeling, although she didn't know what exactly was bad about opening her eyes.

Finally, one day her father, Strongsoul, had been discussing Rainkit's 'condition' with Skyheart.

"Dreamsong says that they should've been open by now!" her father was what Rainkit considered to be aggressive, or something close to it, because of how he would speak to her mother. He was mean to her sometimes, but she thinks that's just because she wouldn't open her eyes. Strongsoul was probably just worried that she might become an apprentice later than normal.

"She will open her eyes when she's ready!" her mother would snap, usually followed by a hitch in her voice.

"Why does she look like that, anyways," Her father would whisper. Rainkit wondered what they were talking about. Did she look funny? She didn't really know what you were normally supposed to look like, though, since she had never opened her eyes.

"How would I know? She isn't colored normally… and you said Dreamsong spoke to the other medicine cats? What did they say?"

"They don't know anything, either! I wonder why Starclan sent her to us… she's not _our_ kit."

Rainkit was filled with curiosity. What did her mother and father look like? What did _she _look like, for her parents to be so worried about her? Maybe she should just open her eyes. She felt her paws twitch at the thought.

"Oh, it looks like she's awake! Do you think today's the day…?" her mother sounded excited. Yes, Rainkit knew this was the right choice. She wanted her mother to be happy.

How did she open her eyes, again?

After a moments' panic, she finally found the right muscles and she opened her eyes to her parents.

Skyheart was pretty, that's the first thought she had about her mother. She had longish tan fur, with blue eyes. She was so... huge! She towered over Rainkit with an expression she couldn't name.

Her father, Strongsoul, was similar in coloring to Skyheart, but he had ginger markings on his back and face. He was even taller than her mother! He had the same expression as her mother… what was it, again? It was right on the tip of her little tongue.

Oh yeah.

Horror.

"M-Mother? What's wrong?"

Skyheart looked away. She wouldn't meet Rainkit's eyes, and now neither would Strongsoul.

"Why won't you look at me?" Rainkit was upset now. They were supposed to be happy now! She had finally opened her eyes; she could become a tough warrior for Riverclan now! If only they would look at her!

They both walked out of the den; Skyheart called it the nursery. Did that mean she could walk out, too? Was she supposed to stay inside…? They hadn't said no…

Rainkit, with a little grunt, leapt out of the nest, and padded out on wobbly paws into the clearing. Skyheart had described to her what everything looked like, but it was like telling someone what a mother's milk tasted like. It was something you had to experience for yourself.

The…sun was really bright. It shone in a… blue sky, with little puffy white things that she remembered to be clouds from Skyheart's long one-sided conversations with her back when it was normal for her eyes to still be closed.

Lower down, back on the ground, there was so much going on! There cats like Skyheart and Strongsoul, only they were all sorts of different colors, all different sizes… Rainkit wondered what she looked like. Maybe she could ask a cat if there were any puddles or those things that Skyheart had spoken of, where fish come from… streams! Yes, she should go ask for directions to one of those!

There was a big white tom not too far away from her, cleaning his fur, which was dripping with water. What was he doing? Then Rainkit remembered Skyheart saying how fish lived in the water, and they had to get wet to catch them. This cat was a warrior! Rainkit hoped she looked like him one day! But first, she had to know what she looked like…

She padded up to the tom now, a little steadier on her paws.

"Um… Excuse me, but could you show me where a puddle is? I wanna see what I look like!" she had tried to me quiet, but her excitement had flowed into her voice and it came out like a squeak at the end. The tom turned around, his blue eyes wide with shock.

"You must be Rainkit! Nice to meet you, I'm Iceheart." The tom hadn't really looked at her yet, still cleaning his fur.

"You said you want a puddle, eh? I'm pretty sure I'm soaked enough to have created one… ah, here one is!" He was still cleaning himself, he pointed to a rather large puddle with his tail. Rainkit was so excited! She would finally know how she looked, and how awesome she would be as a warrior!

The water reflected the sun, and at first that's all she could see. Rainkit squinted, and looked into the water.

_That_ was _her_?! She looked… scary! Her face… it was two different colors! One side was like Skyheart and Strongsoul's, with tan fur, but her face was split right down the middle… the other side of her face was pure black. And her eyes… her eyes were different colors, too! The tan side held a blue orb, and the black side, a green. Even her nose was split into two colors…

No wonder her parents had looked at her with horror. _She_ was looking at _herself _with horror!

Rainkit was just staring at herself now, too stunned to bring her head back, even though her neck was aching. Iceheart looked over at her, concerned, and flinched when he saw her.

"Oh. No wonder Skyheart was such a mess earlier… poor Strongsoul." Iceheart padded away to a group of younger looking cats, and was pointing his tail over at her. Some cats peeked at her, all flinching, wincing… pitying her parents.

What was wrong with her?! Was she really that ugly?

"You're not ugly, if that's what you're thinking, Rainkit."

Rainkit turned around to see a huge, fluffy white she-cat. Her white fur seemed to reflect the sunlight just like the puddle.

"I'm the leader of Riverclan, Glowstar. Welcome to Riverclan, little kit. I was told you had never been given a proper welcoming."

Rainkit said nothing, though she did stop glancing back at the puddle, at the reflection of her split face.

"Let's say we head over to my den? I have a few things to discuss with you, Rainkit."

**Woo, first chappie done! This will be slightly depressing in the next couple of chapters… of course; I know you guys can guess why, though! Don't worry; this is still a romance story :)**

**Anyways, until next time, **

**EmberFall**

**P.S: thank you to all of my readers who are still following me, even after "A Warrior's Love Story, Plus Some" has been completed! I love yall!**


	2. Wait, No, Just Keep Them Closed

**Hey! Thanks for all of my reviews! Wow, I didn't think I would get so many in less than 24 hours… thank you!**

**Okie, not much in the talking mood, so here yaw go:**

Glowstar led Rainkit to a cave. It was smallish, but it only had to hold her and her mate, whoever that was. It was also really dusty. How did this cat sleep at night with all of the little motes floating everywhere Rainkit would never know.

The leader settled down, so she copied her and sat back, licking her chest fur. She was alone with the leader of Riverclan! She wondered what they were going to talk about. Maybe what her warrior name would be? That would be so cool!

"Now, Rainkit, it's about your name…" Glowstar started. She knew it! She was going to be Rainflash, or maybe Rainstrike! There were so many choices… maybe she would be named Rainsoul, after her father, or Rainheart after her mother!

"Now, your mother thinks you need a… different name."

Wait, what?

She was Rainkit, what did Glowstar mean, different name?!

"I just thought you should know before I announce it to the clan… from now on you will be known as Splitkit."

"Because of my ugly face?" she deadpanned. Rainkit felt… dirty. Maybe she didn't deserve the name Rainkit.

Glowstar looked startled, but said nothing to deny it. She instead got up and walked out, calling the clan to a meeting. Rain-Splitkit didn't get up, though, but just sat there. She was a freak. She was an abomination. Her face… she was two different cats.

After another moment of these thoughts, she sank to the dusty floor. Why had Starclan made her like this? What had she done to deserve this?

"…from now on will be known as Splitkit." Glowstar's voice drifted into the cave, and Splitkit flinched. Why, oh why, did she look like this…?

No cat looked at her as she padded towards the Nursery, but she looked at each of them, begging them to just glance at her. She didn't even care anymore, if she was pitied, flinched at… she just wanted cats to acknowledge her, and not pretend she wasn't there!

Sadly, that is all that happened for five moons. She would look at cats; Glowstar, Iceheart, Skyheart, Strongsoul… nobody looked at her. She had to grab her own food, sleep in her own nest; Skyheart having already gone back to the Warriors den.

Splitkit had often heard her father speak about her to his friends with hushed tones, the scowls from the elders.

"Back in my day," one of the elders, Flowerwilt, had hissed to Skyheart one day, "we would've given her to the rouges or the kittypets. She doesn't look like a Clan cat any more than a mouse does!"

Splitkit felt disgusted, exactly as she had for the past five moons. She felt like she was barely even a cat, more like an insect, or a burr on some one's pelt.

"That's actually not a bad idea," One of her mother's friends, Dawnlight, had whispered, glancing over to the nursery, unaware that Splitkit was listening and watching through a crack in the reeds.

"What do you mean, Dawnlight? You think we should give her up to the kittypets?"

"Well… yeah. It's not like anyone will want to take her on as an apprentice… what do you think about it, Skyheart?"

Her heart felt sore when her mother nodded her head, actually thinking about it!

"I'll go talk to Glowstar about it, now."

No! Splitkit didn't want to be a kittypet! She wanted to be a warrior! She wanted to be big and strong, to get to the point where cats respected her, even if she did look the way she did.

After her meal, Splitkit couldn't help but be stunned by what she had heard. No way would Strongsoul be okay with this… would he…? She honestly didn't know. She didn't know him well enough. She only knew when she had learned from the spaces between the reeds in the den, too ashamed to walk out into the clearing except to go to the dirtplace and to grab her food.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey to gather underneath the overhang for a clan meeting!" Glowstar's yowl rang throughout the clearing… this couldn't be about her, could it? The leader wouldn't have agreed to her becoming a kittypet so easily… surely she would've sat on it for a while, or taken into consideration how Splitkit felt about it!

Again, she just watched from the cracks in the reeds. The whole clan was gathered around the little path that hung a couple of tail-lengths over the rest of the clearing, something she overheard being called… erosion? Something like that.

"I am calling you here today to discuss Splitkit's fate. Skyheart had stated that she wishes for us to give her to the kittypets."

There were a lot of murmurs. Not all happy sounding, but there were no disruptions, saying that Splitkit was a cat just like them, and her opinion mattered. No, none of that.

"I was thinking, however, that we take her to the Gathering, which commences tomorrow night, and offer her up to the clans. Maybe we could trade her for land, or for food."

"But we don't need food," One cat, Iceheart, she thought, protested.

"Maybe not, but what would you rather have, Splitkit stay here? Are you willing to mentor her?"

Splitkit begged him, begged Starclan, prayed, and did _everything_, just to have Iceheart say yes, that he would mentor her if she was allowed to stay in Riverclan. That she wouldn't be like herbs, traded for something in return.

Iceheart sat down from his standing position and said nothing, bowing his head down.

"Then it is settled. Tomorrow night, we will bring her to the Gathering to be traded for land…"

And like that, Splitkit's fate was sealed. She would not be a Riverclan cat, would not grow up knowing her mother and father, to become leader or a queen. She might even become a kittypet, because who was she kidding? If all of Riverclan didn't want her, why would any other clan?

Not for the first time, she wished she had never opened her eyes.

**I am all depressed… I have a bad habit of **_**becoming**_** the character I'm writing about… oh well, I guess its also a blessing, because I can really relate to Splitkit, and im sure you guys can, too, although maybe on a smaller scale. **

**Anyways, follow me/ the story to know when the newest chappies come out, and don't forget to commet!**

**Next chappie, ill start my question of the day stuffs, which all of my readers from my other storis are more than familiar with…**

**Until next time, **

**EmberFall**


	3. Am I Good Enough?

**Hey, guys! Glad you are back! I'm going to answer a couple of comments I got yesterday…**

**StormxRaven: you may be in for a surprise, then…**

**Uglyface: I'm sorry! I didn't know you had a story similar to this, but I sawrry… ill read yours so I don't veer too far into yours, if you would like…?**

**JayfeatherLuver1: Yes. Yes, I do.**

**Featherwish Of Windclan: lol, what are the odds?! I hope you enjoy this story, too!**

**Thank you to everyone who favorite/is following this story… it means a lot to me! **

**Okie, onto the story!**

**N'Joy!**

Splitkit was sitting in the Nursery, her head under her paws, which were covering her ears. Right outside were her mother and father, who were arguing because Skyheart had gone to Glowstar about giving her up without telling Strongsoul first.

"What, so you're saying that you want her to stay here, without a mentor, forever?" Her mother had never sounded this angry before, and her father wasn't helping. Splitkit just wanted to go out there and tell her parents that she was sorry that she looked the way she did, but she had done that once before, around three moons ago. They had been fighting because Skyheart didn't want to feed Splitkit her milk anymore, but Strongsoul didn't want her to because then he would have to bring fish home for Splitkit, too.

"Leaf-fall is coming quickly," her father had argued, "and we can't give fish to a cat that won't ever repay us! It's like giving our food to the owls, because we want to."

Splitkit had scampered out of the nest to tell her parents it was okay, that she would clean the elders' pelts or help with the reeds for the nests, but all she had gotten as a reply was a sharp cuff to the head.

"Get back in the Nursery, Splitkit! Nobody wants to look at you right now," her mother had turned very bitter, after that. From what Splitkit had gathered, her mother had been one of the prettiest cats in the clan, and one of the nicest, too.

But, of course, no cat had told her for certain, she only learned through the cracks in the reeds.

The sky was changing from blue to purples and pinks, the air humid and little breeze to offer relief from the bugs that nipped and bit at their fur. Splitkit was nervous. Technically, she was supposed to be made an apprentice tomorrow, but everyone in the clan, including her, knew that wasn't going to happen. Who in Starclan would take her to their clan, if Riverclan didn't want to? She was mentally preparing herself for the life of the kittypet, of the horrible stories she had heard about how they went to someplace called a 'cutter' and never came back the same. She didn't want that life! She wanted to be a warrior, and fight for her clan.

"Splitkit, it's about time to leave," Glowstar called from the entrance to the den, lot looking at her, per usual, and giving her a wide girth as she padded towards the fresh-kill pile for her last fish. She was halfway there when Batwing, the clan snot nose, blocked her path.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Uh, grabbing a fish?" Batwing was pretty small for a warrior, and Splitkit had heard she was big for her age, but there was still a huge difference.

"After tonight, you won't even be Riverclan. Besides, what had you done to earn that last fish?" Splitkit had to hold back her words of anger. She was never allowed to earn anything! She had asked Glowstar countless times if there was anything she could help with, but she was always just told to stay away from everyone.

Glaring at Batwing, she padded away from the juicy looking fish and padded towards Glowstar, who apparently had been watching the whole thing. Great leader, she was.

As they were walking out of the clearing, Splitkit noticed that neither her mother nor father was going to the Gathering. She guesses neither one of them cared about her enough to know her fate.

This was her first time out of the territory, but she didn't bother to look around. This wouldn't be her territory, and she had never really cared to look around in the first place. They passed countless small streams, leaping over them in huge bounds that left Splitkit panting and with a wet hind leg. She was in the back of the group, of course, but no one even looked back at her. If she wanted to, she could just walk away right now, but all that would do is make her look like a fish-brain. She didn't know which way was the edge of their territory, or where she could hide without being found. Probably nowhere, but she was too smart to do that. Best thing she could do for herself right now was follow along and be quiet.

They finally reached the end of the Riverclan territory, crossing scent markers onto what she was pretty sure was Windclan's territory, because the trees faded into grassy waves that glimmered in the last of the sun's rays.

On the horizon she could see the four huge oak trees that must be Fourtrees, and her paws felt even heavier. She was so tired… she still had to go that far?! Splitkit knew better than to ask any cat ahead of her for help, or at least for a conversation to distract her, but she had never been in a conversation before, just heard them. She doesn't think she had even spoken to a cat of her own will, not counting her parents.

The Fourtrees grew closer and closer and she grew more and more worried. Would any clan take her in? She knew better, but she couldn't help but hope. That was okay to do, right?

Glowstar stood off to the side as Riverclan ran into the shallow dip that held too many cats to count. Beckoning Splitkit with her white tail, she followed the leader to behind the four oaks, where three other cats sat, watching their progress to where they sat.

"Who is this?" a black tom asked, coking his head at Glowstar.

"This is Splitkit. Riverclan has come to a decision to offer her to the clans, to trade for land or herbs."

Splitkit's fur prickled with shame. She struggled not to let her tail creep behind her legs and her head duck, but it was too hard to do. The black tom that had spoken a few moments before looked away.

The other two cats, however, stared. From their scents, Splitkit guessed that the ginger tom was from Windclan, and the russet she-cat from Shadowclan, which left the black tom to Thunderclan.

The Windclan tom looked away after a few more moments, but the Shadowclan she-cat kept on looking.

"Glowstar, I think that cat will do best with the two-legs. She doesn't look like a clan cat. Are you sure one of your cats didn't _find_ her?" that was the Black tom. Splitkit couldn't help but duck her head in shame. If Thunderclan, the kindest of all the clans, didn't want her, than she was a lost cause.

Glowstar sighed. "Yes, I know, but I thought Starclan might feel better if we gave her a chance of finding another clan before giving her to the kittypets in the morning. Thank you for your time," her leader said, pulling Splitkit away towards the front of the trees.

"No, wait. Let me talk to the kit in private?" Splitkit's head spun around quicker than a paw could swipe. The Shadowclan leader had asked that? Maybe they were just going to ask her for information so they could ambush Riverclan.

Splitkit was just about bitter enough about the clan to tell, if she was asked.

**ohh, I think Riverclan will regret this, one day…..**

**anyways, IM TAKING OC's! they may not have big roles, but im too lazy to come up with clever names right now… have fun! I will try and include every cat, so don't worry… **

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: (woo, I'm finally doing them again!) if you were Splitkit, would you have walked off from the group and take your chances in unknown territory like she was thinking about doing, or would you have just gone along with the rest of the cats to the Gathering…?**

**I look forward to reading all of your comments, **

**EmberFall**


	4. They Were Wrong About Me

**Heya~ you're back?! YAY! Im glad u guys are loving this story this much… XD**

**Okay, thanks for all of the OC's! that's it for now, I think, but ill tell yall when I need more!**

**All of your comments are what is creating this chappie… im trying to be as lazy as possible cuz I have school in 13 days… :I**

**Oh well, enjoy this newest chapter!**

As much as Splitkit wanted to give up all the information she knew about Riverclan, there were two things wrong with that plan:

One was that she didn't know that much about Riverclan that would help for an ambush, and

Two was that doing that wouldn't save her from a kittypet life at all.

The other clan leaders left them alone; padding off to who knows where, and Splitkit was alone with the russet she-cat.

"I am Sharpstar. Glowstar said you go by the name of Splitkit?" this she-cat was strange. She wasn't looking away from her. Splitkit was pretty sure this was the first time a cat has looked at her this long before.

"I do now," Splitkit muttered, forgetting that a cat was actually listening to what she would say. Back in Riverclan, she could yowl for all they cared; she was considered a bug or mouse there.

"Now? Did you go by a different name before?" Mouse-dung! She really had to say that…

"Well, um… I was born with the name Rainkit, but Riverclan renamed me after they saw my eyes and face." Splitkit wanted to sink into the ground. What did this leader care?

"I see. Riverclan always have wanted only the best of the perfect cats…" Splitkit was about to defend them, but she realized that Sharpstar was right. Besides, no matter what happens tonight, she wasn't Riverclan anymore.

Really, she never was.

Splitkit didn't say anything to the leader in a response, but she was itching to ask why the leader wanted to talk to her in private. Sharpstar padded up to Splitkit, sniffing her fur, her ears, her back… studying her, she realized. Did this leader really want Splitkit?

She was able to catch the murmurs that Sharpstar was muttering, but they seemed strange in her mind.

"Weak… underfed… wait… no, that's just a… no muscle whatsoever…" Splitkit wasn't sure what half the words the leader said meant. Underfed? Splitkit thought that was how she was _supposed_ to look. Weak? Sharpstar just didn't know she could lift ten whole minnows in her jaws at once!

"Um, excuse me, but what are you doing?" Splitkit couldn't hold it any longer; she had to know what the leader was thinking!

"I am merely making sure you aren't sick. That would be just like Riverclan, to send a cat with a disease to the other clans."

Splitkit ignored the rude words about Riverclan and thought over what the leader said.

"Wait… are you going to… take me...?" she didn't want to get her hopes up. Maybe this was all a trick, to convince her to go live with the kittypets.

Sharpstar looked at her, a small smile on her face. "Yes, little kit. Shadowclan will take you."

Splitkit's head was floating. _Shadowclan_, the clan that was supposed to be the most brutal, the meanest, scariest of the clans, was going to take her in?!

"But… Shadowclan… you…!" Sharpstar purred.

"I know, we are the worst, the most evil of the clans… why in Starclan would we take you in, right?"

Splitkit nodded with wide eyes.

"We are not the evil clan that we are made out to be. We follow the Warrior Code as close as Thunderclan, are as loyal as Windclan, and as true to our word as Riverclan. We just let the rumors fly because they help instill fear in the enemy. Don't you have to admit, that would come in handy if, say, your Riverclan wanted to attack Thunderclan?"

Splitkit could see the logic behind Sharpstar's words. Maybe Shadowclan wasn't so bad after all, because they are taking her in… and that led her to the next question.

"That doesn't have anything to do with you taking me in in the first place, though."

"You are sharp, little kit. I believe in equal chances. My sister, Sweetpetal, is also at what I like to call a disadvantage. Her paws are smaller than usual, and her hindquarters are taller than any other cat's, but she has still become one of the best warriors in the clan. I see nothing wrong with a bad outside, it's the inside that counts, in my opinion. And since I'm leader, that is currently all of Shadowclan's point of view."

Splitkit was so happy… this cat had the beliefs that she wished that Riverclan had; the belief that her looks meant nothing when it came to personality and skills. She couldn't help a purr that rumbled in her throat, and it went that way for several moments before it was broken off by a yawn. As much as she didn't feel like it, she was still a kit, (if not only for one more day,) and she had walked and jumped all the way here.

"I don't suppose any cat helped you on the journey here?" Sharpstar scowled as Splitkit shook her head, eyes flittering shut.

"Just like Riverclan, to let a kit walk to a Gathering…"

Splitkit felt the need to correct the leader. "I am six moons old tomorrow…" it came out in a yawn, and sounded more like 'iham hix…moons… tahmerrow' but Sharpstar seemed to understand her, nodding and placing Splitkit in the crook between two roots of the biggest oak.

"Sleep here, I will retrieve you after the Gathering is over."

Splitkit heard Sharpstar pad away, but her senses were quickly fading into sleep, and for once she welcome it. In the past, she had nightmares almost every night about being teased, or hurt because of her face, but now she had a home. She was a Shadowclan cat! Somehow, it sounded right in her head. Riverclan sounded… wrong. She had come to associate the name with pain and hurt.

Oh well… she could be Shadowclan's next leader, maybe. She would be just like Sharpstar, welcoming cats into the clan regardless on how they looked. Each cat deserved to have a fighting chance.

She would be Splitstar of Shadowclan… now _that_ sounded right!

**Yay! Go Sharpstar! I wanted to make it clear that Shadowclan isn't as bad as they are made out to be! xD **

**Anyways, what did you guys think about the chappie? I hope yall liked it!**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: (yay, situation time!) YOU, (NOT your OC) comes across a kit that looks just like Splitkit… write a couple of sentences about what you would/would not do!**

**EXAMPLE: (no flames, please…)**

_Wildfire was just about to head back to the rest of the border patrol, sure that she had been imagining it, when she set her sights on what she was sure was the source of the noise: a little kit. It was half-buried in the ferns around it, and it had a peculiar face, split half tan and half black. She thought it was strange but maybe this was a sign from Starclan! Maybe she was a special cat…_

**You can find the kit in whatever situation you want… I look forward to reading your ideas!**

'**till next time,**

**EmberFall**


	5. Will You Keep It?

**I was so happy that I found so many answers to my QOFD! You guys are awesome! I would go deeper into detail about which one was my favorite, but I don't want you guys to think I do bias and I pick and choose so… yeah XD they were all amazing, though, I'll tell yall that!**

**Anyways, I feel like I should clear this up because I don't think a cat will explain this in the story: Riverclan (in this Fanfic) are sort of like perfectionists, (understandable) and when Rain/Splitkit was born, they were wary but tried to wave it off as something she would grow out of, like fluffy fur on a kit, but the eyes (which were different colors) made it obvious that it wasn't going to go away, and she looked too weird or something-or-other… so… yeah. No flames to Riverclan, though! (Wildfire is half Riverclan!)**

**Anyways, onto the story:**

Splitkit woke in a dark space. It wasn't a bad experience, but she wasn't expecting it, causing her to leap up in surprise. Her eyes were quick to adjust, and when they did, she froze. Around her were four other cats, each in a nest made of moss sleeping soundly. A moment's more of squinting into the dim light led her to the discovery that there were three toms and one other she-cat, each around her age of… six moons! Splitkit was an apprentice today…

…If Shadowclan made her an apprentice today. Maybe they will keep her as a kit until she is stronger, because as Sharpstar put it, she was 'weak' and 'underfed'. But, if they were going to do that, why was she in the apprentice den right now? Maybe the Nursery was full, or they didn't want her face to scare the kits.

Splitkit was lost on what she was supposed to do. Should she get up and go outside or lie back down and wait for someone to get her? She was completely rested, albeit sore from her long journey the night before, but she wanted to do something! Maybe all of the cats would be like Sharpstar, and not flinch when they say her… that would be like Starclan for her!

Splitkit sat back down after one glance to her fur. It was so messy! Having so much free time in Riverclan, she would just groom her pelt the whole day between listening through the reeds, but now her fur was ruffled, sticking every which way and she didn't want to even _think_ about how her back side looked!

With a huff, she began grooming with a swiftness that you could only acquire after having nothing else to do for six moons, finishing with a black and orange pelt that gleamed in the sunlight now shining stronger through the cracks in the bracken.

"GET UP you lazy 'paws! Up, up, UP! The Riverclan cat is up quicker than you four!" Splitkit was pretty sure that her pelt almost fell out from stunned surprise. At the entrance to the den was a grey and cream she-cat. She was very tall, and after a moment's of recovering, Splitkit was able to recognize the tall hind legs, and guessed that this was Sharpstar's sister, Sweetpetal.

As much as Splitkit wanted to say that she would be good friends with this warrior, she felt the need to correct her.

"I'm not Riverclan," her voice was soft, but it was clearly audible above the apprentice's soft snores, mumbles, and groans. As soon as she spoke, all heads snapped towards her. Sweetpetal looked at Splitkit with an expression that she had never seen in Riverclan.

"If you're not Riverclan, what are you? I don't believe we have made you a Shadowclan cat, yet." Again, four wide-eyed heads bore into her back, awaiting her answer. She couldn't place Sweetpetal's tone; again, it wasn't something she could pinpoint.

A little part in her mind, the part that was still a kit, wanted to back down and apologize, but that was one of the biggest things she learned from the cracks in the reeds: never back down when challenged. Frowning, she tried to settle her beating heart and her quivering tail as she answered.

"I understand that I am not yet Shadowclan, but I was never Riverclan, really. For now, I'm just…me."

Sweetpetal looked at her with that same look before purring. "I like you, Splitpaw."

Splitkit finally named the expression! It took her a few moments just because she saw it so rarely in Riverclan… Admiration and respect. But wait…

"Oh, uh… Sweetpetal? I'm not an apprentice. I'm Splitkit, still." The four apprentices looked at her with confusion, still as silent as ever. Sweetpetal looked at her again, and nodded once. "I'll take you to Sharpstar. This is something we will have to discuss."

The grey cream she-cat motioned with her tail to follow her, which Splitkit did with one final look at the apprentices, who were grooming each other and one, a tom, had already gone back to sleep.

Following the warrior out of the den, Splitkit was greeted by stares. Not all, some, but not all cats looked away, but they studied her. Riverclan had studied her about as much as they would a dead bee. Splitkit's ears burned at all of the attention, both good and bad, and she struggled not to look at her paws. _No!_ She thought, _those days where she was ashamed of herself were behind her! _

Outside, the sun was just above the trees with not a cloud in the sky. The air was warm, the last of green-leaf trying to ward off the chill of leaf-fall as much as it could. Cats were everywhere, grooming, sharing tongues, eating… it was just like Riverclan, except there was no shunning, turned shoulders and heated whispers.

It appeared that the camp was in a type of ditch or dip, with walls rising about three tail-lengths above her strewn with rocks and ferns, and Splitkit wondered if she could even clear it in one jump… not likely. She had never really jumped up anything.

One of the many wonders of watching through the reeds: she never did any exercise, unless retrieving fish and going to the dirt-place counted.

Sweetpetal led Splitkit to a small-looking den surrounded by ferns, which seemed to be as common in the camp as reeds were in Riverclan, and she shivered as she passed through, dew collecting on her perfectly groomed pelt and making it shine for the last moments before it was plunged into dimmer light.

Sharpstar sat with one other cat, a tom with a greenish tortoiseshell pelt and bright green eyes. They seemed in an argument, but Splitkit didn't try to pry as the tom brushed passed the leader on the way out of the den coldly, scowling.

Sharpstar settled her gaze on Splitkit, but she was too busy studying everything. The den was much larger than it looked, with only one nest pushed into the corner. The rest of the space was covered in huge leaves the size of a cat and a strange-smelling –and looking- substance. It was black, glittering in the light that the thick-pressed ferns let though, smelling bitter and earthy. The leaves that weren't blank were covered in the stuff, forming shapes lines that gave Splitkit a headache to study too closely.

"Ah, Sweetpetal, I see you have brought me Splitkit; what is the matter?"

Sweetpetal sat down, and after a moment's hesitation, she copied the she-cat. "Splitkit has yet to be made an apprentice, and I am here to ask when that will happen."

Sharpstar nodded, a not-quite serious expression on her face as she smiled at her sister.

"Did you think I did not already know this? I was going to speak with the kit today to discuss this; do not worry, sister." Sweetpetal nodded and left with a huff, nodding to Splitkit and sighing.

It took all of her will not to pry; Splitkit wanted to make a good impression and be as little of a hindrance and setback as she could, since after all Shadowclan had taken her in when no one else would.

"Now, Splitkit," the leader snapped Splitkit out of her stream of thought and she looked at her, "Since you were renamed because of Riverclan's foolishness, I will give you back your name that you had befo—

"That's okay, Sharpstar. If I can, I would like to keep it Split."

"But why? You could be Rainkit… Rainpaw again,"

"The reason is still something I'm discovering for myself, but if I can I would like to keep the name I have now."

Sharpstar looked at her for a moment. "You are very wise, for a kit,"

"Thank you,"

_Sure RainStar sounded good for Riverclan, but Splitstar sounds better for me._

**Woo! Go Splitkit!**

**OMG! I am currently SO addicted to the song "Pika Girl"... I listened to it this whole time I was typing this XD**

**Sorry im updating so late in the day, im not feeling the greatest… im sure anyone who has/had braces understands meh pain…**

**AUTHOR'S QUESTION: sorry, but I have to know…. ARE THERE ANY MALE READERS?! I want to know its not 100% girls… ;-;**

**It it's a 'no', can you guys recommend this to any male warrior's luvers u know? (I know they're rare)**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: (more like a request) I need apprentice names! (I will create the warrior names, unless it's a 'unique' name… if you want :D) a she-cat and three toms, please? XD *if you have a long list, please PM me!)**

**Love you guys!**

**Till next time, **

**EmberFall**


	6. The Shadow of Riverclan

**Greetings, my fellow weirdos XD**

**I have to thank you for all of the apprentice names I got… I had a hard time choosing only four! (I had to change the gender on one of them, but I'm sure you won't mind, Woot)**

**YAY! As long as one guy is reading the story, it's okie XD**

**Ugh, im so lazy today… sorry if this chappie is a little lacking… ima try and make this one funny? Idk about how its going to come out, but…yeh :I**

**Song listening to while typing: "Robot" by 3OH!3 *explit* (duh, that's almost all I listen to…)**

**Enjoy._.(derp)**

Splitkit had just left the leader's den when Sharpstar called the clan meeting, and almost instantly every cat was gathered in the clearing. It was obvious that the meeting was about Splitkit, but she didn't know where to go. Was she supposed to go with Sharpstar up to the top of the rock slope, or just wait and sit down?

Her question was answered as she heard her name get called by the apprentices.

"Hey, Splitkit, come _on_! You're so slow!"

She scampered over to where they were all gathered, three toms and one other she-cat. The three toms, one pale grey, one ginger, and one white with black paws, were all looking at her, wary and looking like they weren't sure what to say to her now that she was there in front of them.

"Whys your face like that?" the ginger tom asked bluntly after a moment's more of uneasy tension. Splitkit stiffened at the question about her face, looking down and struggling to come up with a good answer.

"Bravepaw! Don't be a Squirrel-brain! She probably doesn't know why, and you don't need to know! Its _rude_!" that was the pale grey tom. His amber eyes scorned at the ginger tom, shooting an apologetic glance at Splitkit.

"I'm sorry about my mouse-brain brother… I'm Moonpaw, by the way. Oh, and he's Bonepaw," he introduced, motioning to the black pawed tom.

"Do I not get an introduction too, Moonpaw?" that was the blue/grey she-cat with a white muzzle, who had been watching them all with a distant gaze.

"Oh, sorry, Driftpaw. Well… she's Driftpaw, the apprentice that is so bossy that no one can stand her," Moonpaw didn't sound like he was being mean, more like just stating a fact.

"Will you 'paws be quiet? Sharpstar is speaking!" a warrior hissed from a few tail-lengths away, shooting a glare especially at Splitkit, like it was her fault.

"…and from this moment onward, she shall be Shadowclan. Now, since she is still technically a kit, I give her her apprentice name, Splitpaw, and… Coalfoot will be her mentor. Thank you."

Splitkit was really disappointed. Was that it? No touching noses, no cats calling her apprentice name to the skies? She didn't even know who Coalfoot was!

"Woah, you got Coalfoot? She's, like, the most laid-back warrior ever! Lucky! I have Somkefur—

"Who is right behind you, and thinks that instead of battle practice you should search the elders for ticks." Finished a calico tom, with a white pelt and black splashes and smaller orange dots.

Moonpaw closed his eyes in a silent curse as he heard his mentor, who was behind him sporting a smirk on his completely white face.

"You better get to it, Moonpaw; you know how those elders catch those ticks like we catch pery!"

"We do, huh?" came another voice from behind Smokefur, an skinny tom with grey fur that seemed to be falling off in patches, leaving pink skin underneath in clear view.

"Barkfall! You…you heard that, huh?"

"Yes, I did, and I think I would like you personally to clear me of ticks. Moonpaw can cover Briarscrach."

The young calico tom ducked his head. "Yes, Barkfall." Moonpaw snickered to the rest of them behind Smokefur's back, where they had been watching with grins and smirks of their own.

"Splitpaw, there you are! Come, we will begin your training right now." From behind her came a small grey/black she-cat, smaller that the rest of the cats around her, but still larger than her. Almost every cat was larger than Splitpaw, it seemed.

"Yes Coalfoot," she answered, following the she-cat to the steep slope lines with rocks and fine white sand, taking a huge leap and landing at the top, about three tail-lengths higher.

Splitpaw hesitated. Could she make it up at all? Forget one jump… she hadn't ever jumped up to anything before. Another thing to thank Riverclan for…

Taking a deep breath, she jumped about a tail-length upwards, scrabbling in the white sand for a place to jump off of again, and she did, sending up a spray of sand as she did. She landed just short of the top, and she clawed the rest of her way up, panting heavily.

"Don't worry, it gets easier," Coalfoot said, already being swallowed up by the ferns as Splitpaw struggled to keep up. She had to leap over several things that her mentor simply stepped over, and had to run just to keep up with the small warrior's trot.

Finally Coalfoot stopped at a sandy clearing, turning to see Splitpaw, who was panting on the ground, her chest heaving. She had never moved that much before, plus she was still not entirely recovered from last night's journey to the Gathering.

Her mentor looked at her heaped form and frowned.

"Did you not ever play as a kit?"

Splitpaw shook her head, knowing that spying from the cracks didn't count.

"Well, that explains a lot. Kits play because they're kits, sure, but we encourage it because they are moving and developing their muscles. Since you had none of that experience…"

Splitpaw frowned. Would the shadow of Riverclan's damage ever stop casting over her?

**Again, not sure if the humor came across in this chappie, sorry if it didn't. im so lazy… this chapter took me almost 12 hours because I lacked motivation…**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: You, (or your OC) hears their apprentice speaking badly about them. What would they say/do? (You can write or just tell me) **

**Ill post my OC's reaction next chapter **

**Anyways, thanks for all of the guys who commented… (two… :D :/) im half male (In the head) and im a Tomboy, so… YAY! :-***

**Til' tomorrow,**

**EmberFall**


	7. Be A Kit To Grow Up

**OMG! Guys! All of your answers to last time's qotd made me laugh! So many of you are good writers… it makes me smile every time I read it!**

**I have some bad news, though… (Sort of) I have become so addicted to listening to dubstep that this last time I was listening, and it felt like a few minutes and it was literally six hours. **

**No chiz… I'm losing my touch with reality**

**And to top it all off, I'm listening to "this is Halloween" about ten times a day, (Those who have read my last story will understand this) and I can't stop humming it no matter what I do… **

**Enough about me, onto the Storeh~**

**BUT WAIT: I need to clear something up first: SPLITPAW IS A CLAN CAT! She is not a kittypet, or a kit that was found. Her mother is Skyheart and her Father is Strongsoul. Simple. The leaders only asked if she was found, and although Glowstar didn't answer them, Splitpaw is not a kittypet. Sorry for the confusion there…**

Splitpaw was angry. Riverclan's shadow wouldn't leave her! It was bad enough that she had almost no experience dealing with other cats, how to hold a conversation, and how to do simple things like jump, but Coalfoot telling her how she was too weak to do the simplest of things, because of the stupid fish eating clan that had given her up… it made her hate them. Would she ever have a normal life?

"Since you have had no kit-hood, we'll make you one," Coalfoot finished, and Splitpaw looked at her with confusion. How in Starclan do you make a kit-hood?!

"…how will we do that?"

"I'll explain in a moment; let me grab the other apprentices from their mentors. This will be a good chance for every cat." her light grey mentor left after saying those words, the ferns, still damp with morning dew, dripping in the silence that followed her exit from the sandy area.

What was she supposed to do, now? She was finally breathing regularly, but her paws still hurt. She had never moved so much! At least with the journey to the Gathering, she was just walking in a straight line…

Remembering the ache she woke to this morning, Splitpaw just decided to stretch. She focused on her fore legs, feeling her shoulder pop and her claws coming out of their sheathes, glinting in the sun, which was peeking out from behind fluffy white clouds. She had moved around the rest of her small body when she heard voices racing towards her.

"…nuh uh! I will _totally_ beat you there!" she was pretty sure that was Moonpaw or… thinking back on it, she had never heard Bonepaw speak.

"You guys! Get back here right now!" Splitkit smiled as she heard Driftpaw's bossy tone keeping the two toms in check.

Coalfoot appeared back in the clearing, followed by Bonepaw, Moonpaw, and Driftpaw. The toms were huffing, Moonpaw looking disgruntled on how Bonepaw had beaten him.

"It was close, though! It's not like you left me in the dust, so don't go bragging!" Moonpaw licked one of his grey paws and looked over to Splitpaw.

"Hey, Splitpaw! Coalfoot told us we were going to play moss ball!"

"What's moss ball?" she asked, cocking her head.

All three 'paws started to laugh, but when Splitpaw only looked more lost, they straightened up and looked like her like she was a… she didn't even have a word for it.

"You're serious?! You're telling us that you never played moss ball before?!" Driftpaw looked like she didn't believe it as she believed it as Splitpaw shook her head once more.

Coalfoot, who had disappeared into the ferns once again, came back with a mouthful of moss, separating them into balls, one for each of them.

As soon as her mentor passed them to the toms, they started batting them in the air and purring, grins on their faces.

"It's been such a long time since I've done this!"

"It's been half a moon, mouse-brain. And besides, I saw you playing with that leaf after you finished with the elders!" so that was Bonepaw's voice. It was… nice. It was like honey, which although she had never tasted, she had smelled, and it had made her mouth water. The white tom's black paws here a blur as he batted the moss between them.

Splitpaw felt a ball roll onto her paws. She looked down, and then at Coalfoot, who was watching her. Her pelt prickling as the other apprentices stopped to watch her, she hooked a claw around a trendily and flung it into the air. When it came back down, she had a flash memory and she imagined the ball was Glowstar or just Riverclan in general, and swatted it with so much force it flew over Coalfoot's head and disappeared into the undergrowth.

"Splitpaw, you're supposed to keep the ball in your swipes, not bat it away," Driftpaw lectured turning and searching in the undergrowth for her moss. Splitpaw's pelt burned. It wasn't her fault! She had never done this before, and she had been too consumed in her anger at Riverclan for her to focus on keeping the moss.

Ducking her head down, she didn't notice Bonepaw in front of her until he spoke. "You don't put all of your force into the swipe, just enough to keep it in the air. I could see you were thinking about something that made you angry; just focus on moving and getting stronger."

Her head darted up; they were almost nose-to-nose. Leaping back, Splitpaw noticed he hadn't moved.

"S-sorry," she mewed, barely catching Bravepaw's moss ball when he flung it at her.

"Use mine," he offered, giving Bonepaw a glare full of… another thing she didn't know the name of. Starclan, if this continued, she would have to start asking them, 'what are you feeling?' all the time!

Under the toms' watchful gazes, she managed to keep it from flying off into the unknown and keeping it close to her. Coalfoot watched from a few tail-lengths away, smiling and sunning herself on the heat that flowed from the sun that was on the other side of the sky, now, and was turning orange. Driftpaw was always sure to point it out if they were moving wrong or were being too fast or slow, Bravepaw would make her laugh, and Bonepaw would murmur encouragements in her ear and help her when she dropped the ball.

Moonpaw was quiet for most of the time, instead joining in with Bravepaw in his weird looks that were sent in Bonepaw's direction. Splitpaw had never seen such an expression before, but she wasn't too bothered by it; her rumbling stomach was more of an issue at that moment.

Coalfoot had disappeared yet again, this time returning later on with six squirrels, which took another cat, a tom, which dropped them off and padded away after a smile at the apprentices, excluding Splitpaw from the warmth of his gaze and instead shooting her a wary stare.

She stared at her squirrel as the other five cats attacked theirs, biting into the fur and tearing off pieces of meat dripping with blood. Did they really eat like that? Fish were so clean… it was lush a bite into it, no fur or blood involved, but she was too hungry, having skipped her morning meal.

She bent her head down and took a bite, wincing inside at the fur brushed against her tongue. When she bit down, her mouth was filled with blood and flavor. _It wasn't a _bad _taste_, she thought as she licked her lips and bit down again.

Maybe she could get used to squirrels.

**Yay! xD that chappie went by pretty easily…**

**QUESTION OF THE … well, you know the drill by now, I hope…: would you guys like me to do a one-shot of your OC? I will be posting FIVE one-shots, all of which should be PM'd to me! Good luck~**

**Oh yeah, and heres Wildfire's reaction to yesterday's qotd:**

_Wildfire watched as her apprentice sat by the shore with her tom, giggling and touching noses. As much as she felt guilty about it at the moment, as soon as she remembered how badly Splinterpaw had been speaking about her earlier that day made her scowl. She hadn't known what to do to get the apprentice back until she had seen her a moment ago and had slipped into the water without a sound and crept up behind her just as the tom had been stuttering out some sort of confession. 'poor scrap' she thought, knowing that Splinterpaw didn't have one thought about answering his feelings, and she felt no more guilt as she hooked her paws, (claws sheathed; she wasn't that mean) and dragged the screeching apprentice into the warm waters._

"_That's what you get for saying im never quiet and couldn't sneak up on a dead fish, 'paw."_

_Oh, if looks could kill._

**lol, I never said Wildfire was a nice cat :3 shes just like me ,(Duh, she IS me)**

**anyways, until next time, Emberfall! (AKA Wildfire)**


	8. The Sun Makes Me Confused

**Hey guys! Thanks for reading another one of meh chappiez… again, it means a lot to me when you click that link from your e-mail or from the website **

**Okay, I am going to answer some questions… (sorry if I skip yours; its totally on accident)**

**MissSerendipity2013: 'YESH PWEASE! THANK YOU SO MUCH!' about what? XD sawrry im a bit slow**

**crazykatz430: …maybe ;)**

**Oreostar: omg I loved your answer to the qotd! It was really good, and I'm really happy that I inspired you! I hope you will let me comment it when you publish it **

**JayfeatherLuver1: hmm… I'm sure you are a great writer, it just takes a lot of support and the right mindset. Go Go Go! You can do it!**

**Petaldawn: no, as long as it is Warriors related, I can do it! **

**Ashheart15: Wildfire is my OC, a part of me in both the mental scense and … well, just about that. There are two other people in my head, Maya, (My Alter Ego) and Wildfire, my warriors cat… thing. Yeah. No judge. We all know you have to be at least a bit insane to be an author XD**

**Woot: Riverclan, technically, did take care of Splitpaw. They fed her, gave her a roof(er, den,) and watched over her, although it was tinged with disgust.**

**Okay sorry that took so darn long… onto the story! N'Joy~**

The rest of the night was spent with her new friends. Driftpaw, as bossy as she was, made Splitpaw laugh, and at the end of the day, that's all that mattered to her; she didn't care if she was with the most annoying she-cat in Shadowclan, Driftpaw didn't flinch, she didn't judge, and she didn't mention it.

Bonepaw, Moonpaw, and Bravepaw were all typical toms. They joked about her, and although it stung, how they called her Splitface as a joke, she still smiled through it. Bonepaw, in fact, didn't speak much at all, always standing beside her and looking at her with a strange face.

She still couldn't put a name on the expression.

She went to sleep that night warm. She was surrounded by warm bodies, all pressing against her in the cool night. Leaf-bare was almost upon them, and she could smell something in the air… something sharp and exciting. It made her lungs swell, and at the same time it made them sting from the whole thing. The smell made her look forward to leaf bare, as long as she had her friends to stick by her.

Her dreams were muddled, like trying to look at the sun through the poufy clouds that made the skys dark and cold.

Like looking at her face that first time, oh so long ago.

_She was in the Riverclan Nursery again. The sky was black and full of stars, but the sun was shining, sending no warmth but still making Splitpaw's eyes hurt when she glanced at it. The clearing was full of noise, but there was no source, from what her eyes told her. The place was empty. She looked up at the sun again, and it had a face. It was wearing an expression just like Bonepaw had that night. Strange._

_She wondered if the sun always looked like that, or if was just another stupid dream. She steps forward again and her paw lands in a puddle. She looks down, and is unable to see herself. The Puddle shows a starry sky, an expression-wearing sun… and nothing else. _

_Another thing is that her paw is missing. _

_She looks down at it, worried but not quite concerned. So what if she couldn't see her paw? Its not like… oh, okay, now her whole foreleg in in the water, and she has to awkwardly crouch to be comfortable. The puddle doesn't ripple, even when she blows on it. Frowning, she licks it, and is greeted with the taste of blood. Ew! Since when did puddles taste like that?!_

_She didn't have a cut in her mouth; it was definitely coming from the puddle. Her chest is now sinking into the water, and the sun is now smirking at her. Splitpaw suddenly had the feeling that whatever would happen to her once her head went under would not be good. She struggles to get free, only making it worse. Her chin is flooded with the bile taste as she whips her head back and forth, only realizing too late that that made her completely sink under._

_She can't breathe. Her head hurts. She thrashes around, and all she can clearly see is that expression, oh, that expression that she didn't know the name to. Oh, how she was starting to hate that expression._

"_Splitpaw…."_

"_Splitpaw!"_

"Splitpaw wake up! You're thrashing more than a fish does out of water!"

"…Sorry, Bravepaw."

"It's okay, you mouse-brain, just stop!"

"Okay…"

…

"…Hey, Bravepaw?"

"_What_, Splitpaw!"

"Does the sun have a face?"

**Haha, that's totally me XD **

**Anyways, sorry this chappie was slightly shorter, but I hoped you enjoyed the bit of RaNdOmNeSs… XD**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: DOES the sun have a face?**

**I will voice my opinion on this crucial matter tomorrow :)**

'**till next time, **

**EmberFall**


	9. Half Of A Knot I Am

**Helloooo? Where are all of those PMs about a One-shot with your OC?! You know you want one XD**

**Here's something so you can have a one-shot and be as lazy as possible:**

**Genre(s):**

**Cat(s):**

**Appearance(s):**

**Preference(s):**

**Other:**

**Lazy enough for you? XD**

**Okay, I've had a recent problem with reviews… people calling my story 'terriblez', 'Gay' and 'Fake' …?**

**Wow.**

**You.**

**Are.**

**Childish.**

**If this continues, I will have to block all non-members, and I'm sure you guys don't want that, so… **** I'm sorry I have to threaten but it's really annoying and hurtful.**

**U Jelly Bro? XDD**

**Anyways, sorry for that little rant. Enjoy the chapter **

Coalfoot, much to Splitpaw's dismay, said that Shadowclan worked in pairs for almost everything. It made sense, but from Shadowclan…? They were supposed to be the cats that worked alone, that were practically loners and scorned any sort of corporation!

But, looking back, Shadowclan has cleared up a lot of the myths and lies about themselves.

"Now," her mentor addressed the four other apprentices next to Splitpaw, all bleary-eyes and ruffled from sleep, "Partnership is, of course, a trait exclusively for Shadowclan, just as the Hunter's Crouch is for Thunderclan, or the speed of chasing prey is for Windclan. You do not get your permanent Partner until you become a warrior, of course, and up until then you will each work with each other.

"Partnership has nothing to do with age, and a new warrior can be paired with a senior one. Since there are an odd number of apprentices these four seasons, four out of you five 'paws expect your Partner to be one of the cats sitting next to you."

All of them looked at themselves, and then at each other, trying to predict who will be paired with who.

Splitpaw looked at her options: Bravepaw, the ginger tom that had a knack for saying exactly what was on his mind and then some, Driftpaw, who was kind to her but sometimes could be annoying by the most patient of cats, and Moonpaw, the silver tom who was very handsome, but was slightly full of himself.

Bonepaw. He almost never spoke with her around her, which was strange considering she could hear him loud and clear with Driftpaw and the others when she was still in the den grooming.

Splitpaw hadn't really spoken to any other cats in the clan, so she did not know how many unpartnered warriors there were.

Breaking out of her pondering was Bravepaw, with yet another question.

"What decides who your Partner will be?"

Okay, that wasn't as silly as some of the questions he has asked, like 'why are beetles so small?' and 'why does it take so long to grow big?'

"Your Final Assessment before you become a warrior will have you work with each cat that does not have a partner, both in fighting and hunting, and the senior warriors and the leader will decide."

That was… comforting, in a certain sense. At least if Splitpaw made a mistake the first time, she would have multiple other chances to fix or perfect it.

For the rest of the day they practiced basic battle skills, both alone and with another cat. Although they learned nothing more complex than a simple paw swipe, whether it was not stumbling over their own paws, over their Partner's paws, or simply holding their balance, they all had trouble. Splitpaw, her body having never moved this much in less than five sunrises was the worst off, wincing at her sore muscles and panting from lack of breath doing the smallest things.

"Coalfoot, I don't want to work with Splitpaw! She's too slow and she keeps messing up!" Bravepaw was starting to really get on her nerves with his constant talking, as was almost as bad as Driftpaw, who then got right into Bravepaw's face.

"You have no place to complain! Aren't you the one who tripped over his own tail earlier!? Do what you're told and leave Splitpaw alone, it's not her fault she's weak!"

Splitpaw's mentor just sat with her tail over her paws neatly and watched with no expression on her face.

"Well you keep bumping into me when we go back-to-back! I can't move!"

"Hey, guys, calm down! There's no need to fight!" Moonpaw tried to get between the two apprentices, who were head to head, noses touching and eyes slanted with anger.

"Oh shut it, you clumsy tom! You're worse than Bravepaw!"

Splitpaw sighed as it was now all three of them arguing with each other, her and Bonepaw watching from a few tail-lengths away.

"Do you want to practice while they are being squirrel-brains?"

Splitpaw almost jumped as she heard the white tom's mew, surprised that he was talking to her at all. He wanted to practice?

"S-sure…" she stuttered, wincing as her voice rose into a squeak. She pulled herself up off of her haunches and padded over to where he was waiting for her, for once not wearing that Starclan-cursed expression. She leapt up onto her hind legs and pressed her small back against his big, warm one. She wobbled, not used to standing on only two legs for so long, and she could feel Bonepaw trying not to the same.

"So," she said, proud that she didn't stutter, after all, she had never touched another cat so much before, "What do we do now?"

"Oh, um… I guess we can practice the paw swipe?"

"Do we have to be in this position, or can we do it on all fours? I'm pretty 'weak', as the others put it."

"Uh, yeah. Here…" for some reason, the black pawed tom twisted in such a way that they both collapsed with matching 'oof!'s.

Blinking dust out of her eyes, she tried to move but found her body trapped under Bonepaw's. She twisted her head to get her nose out of the dirt, and...

…Found herself nose-to-nose with him, his blue eyes meeting her mismatched ones. She just sort of… stared for a moment before realizing that she was free and she jumped up and looked away, blowing the long hair from the top of her head out of her eyes.

"I think I know who Splitpaw will want to be her partner," Whispered Bravepaw to his silver counterpart, Moonpaw, unheard by the two cats that were eye-locked.

**Hehe… **

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: how do YOU see warrior cats in your head? Like… there is the cartoon cats with the beautiful faces and the hair that always flop into their faces, : **_ art/Warrior-cats-family-323797495_

**The real life cats, (im pretty sure you don't need a link)**

**And the anime cats: **_ art/Anime-Cat-276568724_

**I do not own any of those pictures, websites, or people**

Anyways, I usually see them as all three XD

Till next time,

EmberFall


	10. The Taste of Mint

**Okay, I'm going to get the bad news out of the way: in six days there will be no more everyday updating **** there will be school and all the other crap that I'm doing, and the freedom and extra time will be nonexistent until next summer **

**I will probably update every other day? No longer than three days, unless my computer decides to be a derp, (Which is becoming more and more common) or I have bad grades and I get all of my electronics taken away… (This WILL happen, even at my age)**

**Anyways, some good news now! I am getting a new tablet, (The one where you draw on it and it appears on the computer screen) and Adobe Photoshop so do you know what that means?! XD **

**DRAWINGS OF THE CHARACTERS! XD **

**Anyways, onto the storeh~**

Three sunrises later, all of the apprentices were sick of each other. They had all taken turns doing simple moves with a partner, and they had all stepped on tails, paws, ears, and once Bravepaw and sat on Bonepaw on accident.

"Why must we do_ everything_ in pairs? It is really getting to be too much!"

"Now Bravepaw, you aren't _doing everything together_," Coalfoot - who seemed to take care of all the apprentices, since Splitpaw didn't even know who the other apprentice's mentors were – scorned.

"Yes we are! You had Driftpaw trail me into the Dirtplace yesterday!"

"If Driftpaw hadn't been so busy bossing Bonepaw around, she would've heard me say how you didn't have to follow your Partner into dens and the Dirtplace."

Driftpaw flinched. "Well it wasn't very fun for me either; I'll have you know…"

"Yes, yes, enough of that. Now, Sharpstar said that you will be going to the Moonstone tonight, as the usual trip that apprentices take to speak to Starclan."

"Awesome! Who will be taking us? Sharpstar herself?" Moonpaw was bouncing with excitement, and he looked about ready to scamper out and begin the journey right now, which, considering the position of the just-beginning-to-set sun would be just what they would do.

"No cat is taking you. Another tradition that only Shadowclan does, since there are no other territory's besides Kittypet places, is send the apprentices alone. It gathers trust and experience, and you are Partnered with the cat that you work the worst with."

Great Starclan, help her. She would be paired with Moonpaw?! They were worse than any other paring, not in personality but in just pure size. Moonpaw was by far the largest of the apprentices, and of course Splitpaw was the smallest. It instantly turned into a situation to where her head was resting just about the base of his tail when they were both on their hind legs.

"Where there be any fighting?" Bonepaw sounded nervous, and it made her smile inside to hear his voice sound so unsure and silly, but she was sure if she were to speak her voice would wobble so much she would fall over!

"Possibly, if your luck is bad enough to where you run across a defiant kittypet, but those chances are low. Now, go stand next to your partner and go to the Medicine den, where Mintbreeze will supply you with the needed herbs. Repot back to me when you have done that."

Splitpaw sighed and met with Moonpaw, walking in step with him, although his walk was a steady trot for her. The clearing was full of cats, and on closer inspection what she had thought before was just friendship and affection turned out to be Partnership: two toms taking turns eating from a frog, (Which she had yet to try), and while the other was eating they would watch and scan the area, a tom and a she-cat grooming each other and scanning for ticks.

Moonpaw looked unsure but determined; his paw steps showing how he was ready, but the shake in them before they landed were louder than his calls to the warriors.

The Medicine den was in the shade of a willow tree; long, fuzzy tendrils snaked around each leaf of a fern to create a solid wall Splitpaw was sure was resistant to rain and the harsh winds that were beginning to barrage the clearing. Pushing past the wall of foliage, Splitpaw was greeted with the smell of medicine the most obvious smell being Mint.

"Why in Starclan does it smell so much like Mint in here?" Bravepaw muttered, earning a glare from the tom that was known as Mintbreeze.

"It keeps the herbs from tasting too bad, and it is good for the breath."

Moonpaw and Splitpaw were the last to arrive, so they watched as the greenish tortoiseshell tom passed the other group, (Driftpaw was working with a newly made warrior) small piles of leaves, including both foul and sweet smelling mushes and a couple of small, sharp smelling herbs that he was named after.

"Thank you, Mintbreeze. The Mint really does work," Bonepaw nodded his head in thanks unfollowed by Bravepaw, who scowled, and the two followed to pad out.

Walking fully into the den to receive their share of traveling herbs, Splitpaw studied the silver tom beside her with a mild interest. At least they weren't at odds as far as personalities went, as Moonpaw was more of the follower than the leader, always trying to keep fights to break out. Splitpaw was just slightly different:

She will never follow.

The pile of leaves before her paws was small, with about five different types of herbs that she couldn't name, not counting the Mint. She lapped them up, wincing at the taste they left even with the Mint to clear it out.

"Thank you, Mintbreeze," they repeated, and padded out into the clearing once more, taking deep breaths and giggling inside on how the Mint made their mouths so sensitive.

Meeting back with Bravepaw, Bonepaw, Driftpaw, and a golden brown she-cat warrior who Driftpaw would be Partnered with, Coalfoot nodded and went to speak to the warrior and the bossy she-cat.

Splitpaw's mentor then moved to Bravepaw and Bonepaw as Driftpaw and her Partner padded out of the Camp and towards the mountain that could just barely be seen above the tree tops.

Although she spoke too quietly to hear, Splitpaw guessed that they were all taking different routes or directions, and she was right; as the ginger and white toms left the camp Coalfoot came over and pointed the direction that they would be taking to the mountain with her tail.

"There will be two kittypet places, a thunderpath, and a place that Twolegs place flimsy green dens. Since this is the longest path, I expect you two to be back in about three sunrises. Hunting is easy up until you hit the mountain, but I think getting to the Moonstone will not take that much time. Remember that this is a partnered activity and there will be a warrior watching you until you hit the Kittypet place. There is a possibility of Rats, but do not attack. Anything else?"

Both apprentices shook their heads, but Splitpaw was panicking. Sure she knew how to hunt, one of the only things that she was really good at, but the Thunderpath? There was a certain way to get across, right? Shadowclan and Coalfoot had taught them nothing of the sort.

"Ready, Splitpaw?" she head the quake in Moonpaw's voice, but the way his fur brushed against her flank comforted her. The Herbs made her forget the hunger than had been beginning to gnaw at her stomach, and she had a feeling that it would all be okay with the silver peacemaker with her.

"Only if you are; Race you to that tree?"

**And herein begins the first leg of Splitpaw and Moonpaw's journey! Have any of my reader read Divergent? If so, I compare Shadowclan to Dauntless XD in their ways and personalities in general, anyways XD**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: I know this one is a little bit selfish, but who and what do you think I look like? My age? I'm obviously a she-… Female, and I am still in school and in the US, but that's just about all you guys know about me and I was just wondering 'cause this is my first time having stories being read by anonymous people what came into their head when they see EmberFall… XD you don't have to answer this one XD**

**Till next time, **

**~EmberFall**


	11. Hmmph! Toms Are Mouse-Brains

**Hello! This message is brought to you by:**

***No Name* (sort of skinneh, Brown haired, 14 (almost 15) year old girl with bright blue eyes, 5'8, starting high school as a Freshman next Mon., who loves all of her readers)**

**Maya (*No Name*'s alter ego who is a short red headed, green eyed, short tempered mass of fury, who likes you all on and off)**

**Haha, it made me and Maya smile when one of you said I look like a cat XD**

**Thanks for spoiling me in my selfish qotd, I was practically being eaten by the curiosity though XD**

**Anyways, onto the storeh!~**

The day was getting progressively worse as Moonpaw and herself reached the edge of Shadowclan's territory, as if their emotions were affecting the weather so. Huge, angry-looking grey clouds were blocking out the sun and racing towards them, bring with them a cold and hungry wind that burrowed into the two apprentice's short fur and sending chills and the smell of upcoming rain.

Splitpaw was ashamed to say she was already tired, her paws were sore and she was huffing but she was being quiet about it as Moonpaw lead and held branches for her so she didn't have to jump. It was irritating her that he thought she wasn't able to care for herself, and that she was just fine, thank you, but it made her smile on the inside that he was thinking about her enough to do it at all.

As the silver grey tom opened his mouth to speak, another strong blow of wind brought the smell of lightening, something that Splitpaw had only experienced once, and she really, _really_ didn't want to think about it.

"We should find shelter for tonight. I doubt that this will be just a light storm," Moonpaw said, and although he had stated the obvious, he looked back for her opinion.

"Good idea; let's start looking, preferably somewhere where we won't get wet," is all she said, hating the feeling of water on her pelt and in her eyes. With that, they stopped trying to go forward and although it would've been smarter, one of Coalfoot's instructions for all Partners is to never split up; the farthest away they both felt comfortable with was about ten tail lengths.

The smells of sharp rain and the lightening were getting too close for Splitpaw, and she was starting to shake.

"H-Have you found anything yet, Moonpaw," she called, hating the stutter in her voice and wishing she wasn't so afraid of the upcoming storm.

"I think, but we may be pretty cramped," he called, and she rushed over on sore paws to where he was pointing with his tail towards.

Cramped was right; the few boulders that leaned against a fallen tree were barely enough for one warrior, and she doubted it would fit both of them.

"Is there any way we can make it bigger?"

Moonpaw looked around and went in search of things that would make staying there a little less uncomfortable while Splitpaw tried to look for any prey that was in the area. Any prey smart enough to realize the weather that was coming would be in their dens, safe, where Splitpaw wished she was. Trying to ignore the smell of lightening and rain, she focused on the scent of a squirrel. She breathed as deep as her chest would let her, focusing fully on the little brown ball of fur about five tail lengths away. Perfect! She crouched down, her back legs feeling awkward as they were squished down but ignoring the stiffness as she crawled forward, the leaves and debris of the forest floor brushing against her chin.

The squirrel stopped chewing on an acorn and looked straight at Splitpaw. Mouse-dung! Taking a deep breath, she was about to jump on it and hope for the best when a silver blur flew behind the prey and made it shoot straight toward her outstretched claws. Killing the squirrel with a –somewhat- clumsy bite to the neck, she looked up to see her partner looking at her.

"That's why we hunt in pairs," he muttered, somewhat upset for a reason Splitpaw didn't understand. He gestured for her to take the squirrel and follow him, which she did without complaint at his bad mood, which was beginning to turn the air sour.

They reached the shelter just at the first raindrop pushed past the tightly packed pine trees and landed on her nose. Moonpaw had leaned a couple of broken branches against the already fallen tree and boulders, creating enough space for them to lie down on the hurried nests he had made.

"Thank you for the extra shade and the nest," she called as he went to survey the clouds outside, his eyes tired and wary.

"Thank you for the prey," his voice was flat and emotionless, and Splitpaw wondered why in Starclan he would bad mad. Did she say something? Do something, maybe?

The moody silver tom joined her and took a bite from the untouched squirrel, waiting for her to take the next bite, which she turned down.

"I'm not hungry," she lied, frowning as her stomach made protests to her head. She was actually starving, but maybe giving Moonpaw the squirrel would make him feel better; the last thing she wanted to do was sleep in the shelter with a cat and the attitude of a fox.

"If you say so," he muttered, looking at her a moment longer before taking another bite, chewing and releasing smells so good her mouth almost flooded with craving.

The rain outside was beginning to pick up outside, and Splitpaw was trying to focus on the rain, the thin nests, anything to keep her from thinking about the squirrel less than a tail length being devoured by Moonpaw, her temporary Partner.

As if Starclan was intent on making her more uncomfortable in the situation she was in, her stomach made the loudest sound she even knew it could.

Moonpaw, mouth halfway for another bite of the quickly shrinking prey, froze and looked at her with an unreadable expression. Splitpaw decided the best approach was just to pretend that it didn't happen, and she continued to look out into the now outright downpour.

For several moments she felt no movement next to her before the air become breathable, and she felt the half-eaten squirrel land at her paws.

"You mouse-brain, starving yourself won't get us to the Moonstone any quicker."

"It wasn't about getting to the Moonstone; it was about your foul mood! I didn't want to sleep with it hanging on me like Greencough." She hated how cold her voice sounded, so she decided to look at him to get him to understand without making it worse, which was exactly what was happening.

"My 'foul mood' was because you went hunting without me! That is one of the first rules of having a Partner is hunting together, Splitpaw!"

"I'm sorry, I've grown up alone and that's how I'm going to want it for a while. You'd understand, if you went through what I did!"

Splitpaw hated how she was making it worse, but she couldn't stand it when cats accused her of something that wasn't her fault.

"Oh, Get over it! You look like a freak to some cats, get over it! You're in Shadowclan now, or are you still Riverclan? That's it; you're still one of the fish-eaters!"

_What?_

Splitpaw got right up in Moonpaw's cocky face.

"I was and will never be one of them," she spat with such force that he craned his neck to get away from her. What had she done?! She ran out of the den and into the raid, her inner disgust drowning out the horrible feeling of water on her fur.

She heard the tom calling her name, but she was too busy sobbing and running, running away. She swept the hair out of her eyes, now dead and hanging in her face, and ran on.

Then the lightening started.

**You go, Splitpaw! Stand up to that jerk-face!**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: how would you (and/or your OC) have reacted if you had been in Splitpaw's situation and someone accused you of still being apart of another clan? XD please keep it…. Heck idk made it as violent as you want XD**

**Till next time, **

**EmberFall… (Im thinking about changing my PenName… thoughts?)**


	12. Old Memories

**Hey guys! **

**Okay, about my update schedule: THERE IS NONE! Usually I will update anywhere from 1 PM EST to as late as 10 PM EST … im an author, after all, and everyone knows 99.9999999% of authors cant keep their schedule! (That's what managers are for!)**

**Okay, per popular request, I will keep EmberFall as my PenName **

**NEW ONE-SHOT COMING SOON! Ill tell yall when its up, but get ready for some depression… XD**

**Onto the story! N'Joy ppl!**

Splitpaw was running.

The rain was covering her fur, making her heavier and making her already sore paws yowl in pain. Her claws were full of mud and other things she didn't want to think about, and the tears falling from her eyes were soaking the fur hanging limply in her face.

She didn't feel any of it.

It was very silly of her, running, but she couldn't help it. It wasn't Moonpaw's accusation that she was Riverclan as much as it was just all of the memories from her treatment rushing back at her from the mental rocks she buried it under. She saw the little kit that had been born a moon before be treated by the other warriors; she was so stunned. Splitpaw hadn't known what to expect, since what she knew was all that she knew. To see this little kit be treated so kindly… she was so guilty to feel such jealously towards that little kit.

Okay, she was really tired now. The anger was seeping away and leaving her tired, still hungry, and having a long way back to walk on her sore and throbbing paws.

Splitpaw sighed and began to follow her scent trail back when a bright flash across the sky made her legs buckle, and her eyes squeezed closed.

_She whimpered as another flash lit up the reeds around her. Rain dripped through the roof to the den every few heart beats and kept her from trying to disappear. Her small body, still weak from the sudden change from milk to fish, throbs all over and her head pulses her vision. The reed nest she was laying in was far from comfortable; Splitkit had never liked reeds on her nest, instead preferring the moss she had found outside the Nursery where no cat went, but then it all disappeared one day and she had to lie back down on the reeds._

_Yet another flash filled her vision and yanked her cruelly out of her thoughts and back to the present as small sobs racked her body. The air was sour smelling from the flashes, and she was alone. Skyheart and Strongsoul were both back in the Warriors den, leaving Splitkit alone to face the scary things that came in the night, like the bad dreams and the cramps that overcame her small frame when she fell asleep wrong. _

"_Splitkit? Are you in there?" the blissful sound of her mother's mew filled her ears, and she turned around to see no one. Had she imagined it? Hesitantly she peeked her head out of the den, letting her eyes adjust to the almost complete blackness outside. _

_Another flash, louder than the others, made her flinch and her paws shiver. She whimpered._

"_Whoa, you're right. She is afraid. What a silly cat. Obviously her face isn't the only think wrong with her!" that was her father. Splitkit felt so stupid. _

"_Probably; come on, let's get back to the den, it's starting to rain again."_

'_No! Wait! Take me with you!' Splitkit's mind yelled out to her leaving parents, unable to voice herself because of the fear locking her body in place. She couldn't move her mouth, her paws, her eyes and chest the only things moving. Her heart beats so fast she can't keep up with it._

_Her body is locked in place. _

Splitpaw's body is again stuck, frozen in fear. She is too afraid to even think. Her chest is heaving; her eyes are wide in a fear-frozen face. Her whole body seemed to flinch as another flash struck the sky with the sound of a thousand boulders falling.

"…Splitpaw? Is that you…?" Moonpaw's worry-filled mew falls upon unhearing ears. Splitpaw is stuck in her head, reliving that horrible, Starclan-cursed night as a kit, over and over. Moonpaw, who's fur is also plastered to his surprisingly smaller frame, rushes over to and checks if she is hurt.

_My body had no injuries, _she thought, _it's my mind that's hurt. _

"Splitpaw, you have to follow me! We aren't safe out here…" his voice drifts in and out, and Splitpaw can only struggle to move her body that seems to be like rock. Another bolt, this time almost directly overhead, sends her running. Her body, from being pushed forward for so long, shoots forwards like a squirrel escaping towards a tree. Her muscles yowl, her paws groan and whine, her whole body protest, but she doesn't stop until she is under that fallen tree and curled up in the tightest ball that she can and the silent, fear-filled tears fall. She was scared to death. The lightening was too loud, too bright, too… real.

Moonpaw is a few heartbeats behind her, and makes a unintelligible noise as he sees her, already in her quivering ball. He settles down and begins licking her, getting the water out of her fur, which is starting to make her shiver.

At first she stiffens, his tongue unwelcome, and he pauses. She relaxes after a moment, too cold but too afraid to uncurl, and lets the silver tom lick her fur dry.

"I'm guessing that this has to do with your Riverclan Kithood. Look… I'm sorry for calling you still a Riverclan; I was just hurt that you didn't ask for help with the hunting. I didn't know you would… react the way you did. If there is anything that I can do to help you right now…?"

Splitpaw, finally at peace about her argument with her Partner, simply shakes her head, her smile unseen, and falls asleep after the next flash, too tired to be scared.

**Haha, a little bit of sweet and a bit of sour XD **

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: where are you guys leaning towards, as far as romance goes! Do you LIKE BEST Moonpaw, Bravepaw, or Bonepaw? **

**XD I look forward to seeing your opinion **

**Till next time, 'EmberFall**


	13. Moonpaw Is Picky

**Hey guys! Im so sorry I didn't upload yesterday… it was verrryyy busy . ugh. Me no like busy.**

**I am starting Highschool day after tomorrow.**

**Starclan, halp me… (You know you are crazed with Warriors when you pray to Starclan)**

**Anyways, I have a question: does anyone know any websites BESIDES Devaniant art where you can post your picures…? I have created some drawings of Bravepaw, Driftpaw, Mintbreeze (for some reason I want to call him Mintfur), Sharpstar, and Moonpaw (no Splitpaw yet) **

**Anyways, Enjoy the storeh!**

Splitpaw woke to cold wind and shivers. Her skin felt like she had rolled in a puddle; after she was fully awake and remembered what happened last night, she remembered why. Moonpaw, angry about her hunting without him when Partnership told them to do just that, accused her of still being Riverclan; all of the memories of her abuse and mistreatment has risen to the surface from where she had buried it, and she had ran away in a flurry of spitting anger and sobs, only to be caught, lost, in the middle of a Lightning storm. She had always hated lightening.

Said mouse-brain tom was sleeping beside her, his eyes closed and forehead furrowed. He was curled up in a ball, tail twitching gently just above his nose. His fur was groomed and shining, and Splitpaw was horrified at the state of hers. Apparently Moonpaw had only groomed her until she fell asleep. It was ruffled, patches showing how it was still damp from last night's rain.

Taking a step outside from their tiny little den, Splitpaw survived her surroundings, taking a deep breath as life started to stir again from the flooding of water that the forest seemed to have received. Puddles reflected a dreary grey sky, usually fluffy clouds grey and heavy-looking. The very air seemed to be filled with water, chill turning it painful as it went down her throat. Fog blurred the trees a few tail-lengths away, even though the sun was probably shining brightly overhead.

Noticing that if they wanted to get to the Moonstone by the full moon tonight they would have to get moving soon, Splitpaw turned back around from her still position and went to wake up the grey mass of fur that was Moonpaw.

Splitpaw had very briefly considered getting revenge for what he had said to her last night, but she remembered how he had admitted how he was wrong and he was sorry; she had to give him some credit… she didn't know any other tom that would've done that.

"Wake up, Moonpaw; if you want any food, you have to go hunting with me."

"Unngh…" he moaned, rolling over and heaving himself up onto wobbly paws.

"Whatter weh huntenh…?" he mumbled. Splitpaw held back a smirk.

"Anything we can. I'm not picky."

"But I am," he protested. Splitpaw gave him a look.

"What! I am!"

"You get what you get,"

"Yes, and what I will get is what I want. And today I want Squirrel."

"Yes, Moon_star_, right away. And what are you going to do if we catch a mouse instead?"

"Then we go and catch a squirrel," he huffed as she gave him another look and paused to take in all of the prey scents, his eyes glistening as he picked up a scent that she couldn't recognize.

"Actually, I'm more in the mood for rabbit, and there's one straight ahead! Here; you go around that tree… there, and make some noise. It should come straight towards me because the marsh is to the other side, and to the other is where you will be. It's easy!"

Splitpaw nodded, not even knowing what a rabbit looked like, and padded over to where Moonpaw had directed her to go on silent paws. Upon reaching her place, she caught her Partner's nod, and she kicked a pebble that was right next to her. A small white body suddenly shot forward, straight towards the silver tom lying in wait, and was caught with the barest edge of his claws.

"Woo hoo! That was so close! Come on, Splitpaw, take a bite of rabbit! It's delicious!"

Bounding over, Moonpaw's happiness and smiles were infectious. She smiled as he let her take the first bite. She found it similar to squirrel, but it tasted… wild. Splitpaw grinned widely, knowing she probably looked crazy with the blood from the still-warm body on her chin and teeth.

After they were done with the rabbit, they buried the remains that they neither couldn't finish and started walking towards the huge mountain. They had only been walking long enough for their stomachs to not feel streached to the limit when they were greeted with a sour smell of unknown places and cats.

"Is that the Twoleg place…?"

"If it is, the warrior that has been watching over us is gone now,"

"So be it. Lets go, my paws are getting sore."

**Sorry this chapter was so short :( im having a bit of writer's block, but I know you guys wanted to read something instead of waiting another day :/**

**SONGS YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO! : "The Game Of Life, (Eng cover) by jubyphonic", "Remote Control, (eng cover) also Jubyphonic, and "Witch Hunt, (eng cover) by… JUBYPHONIC! She is such a great singer! All of the songs make me smile… and if you like the vids, listen to another one of her songs, (its really creepy) called Hide and seek…**

**So yeah**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: your OC is from (blank) and would be the least willing to eat (Blank)**

**Ex: Wildfire is From Riverclan and would the the least willing to eat Shadowclan's carrion. XD**

**I look forward to some funny answers **

**Till next time, **

**EmberFall**


	14. Sharper Claws

**Hello, my Warriors creeps! **

**Jkjk, you know I love you all **

**AHEM… I am very sorry that this chapter is coming so late… school is so frazzling and to be honest, I was so nervous about my first day that my knees turned to jelly :I**

**Anyways, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!**

**NEW STORY! WELL, it's a One-shot with my buddeh Petalwish! Please check out her profile and her storys! The idea for the one-shot was her idea, along with the two main characters, and I only wrote it for her **

**So, please check that out pwease! It's called "From Afar" and is categorized as Romance and Tragedy! **

**N'JOY!**

The Twoleg place was quiet, but at the same time, Splitpaw couldn't hear her own thoughts. She didn't know the bad things and the kit tales that Moonpaw seemed to know, but the way he was on edge was getting to her. The place was full of huge den things, but instead of bracken and ferns, they were made of colorful materials that she didn't know the names of. There were little trees, without branches, bark, or leaves, stacked up next to each other in a straight line, and they looked oddly shaped.

"What in Starclan _are those things_?!"

For a moment Splitpaw thought the silver tom was speaking about the weird tree sticks, but he was gesturing to the small balls that were on the ground a couple of tail lengths away with his tail. Splitpaw didn't know what they were, either. There were four, that she could count, and each were different colors; One pink, the other blue, and two orange. They had little spikes on them and smelled like cat, and that was the thought that kept her from jumping like Moonpaw when a small tom leapt out in front of them.

"Hiya! I don't recognize you… are you new here? Where are your housefolks living at?"

Moonpaw and she shared wary glances. So this was a kittypet? He didn't look like much; he was a small white tom with black splotches on his back and face, with amber eyes and a little bit too much fat. He didn't look on edge at all, unlike them, who were heartbeats away from unsheathing their claws and bolting out of there.

Splitpaw sighed as Moonpaw made no sign of answering the kittypet.

"We do not have Two- Housefolks. We are from the Forest. Could you please point us in the right direction to leave this place?"

The tom blinked. "Yer forest cats?! Do you really eat bones and kill kits if they're too weak?!"

For some reason that Splitpaw couldn't fathom, Moonpaw flinched.

"Yup, we do. Now, can you please point us to the end of this place?"

He stepped back. "Y-yeh. It's that way, past those about twenty-or-so gardens. Y-yer going to the mountain?"

Neither of them replied, instead pounding towards where the black and white tom had gestured to with haste that they could blame on the quickly worsening weather. The sky was an angry looking grey/black, the fog changes places with cold wind that warned more rain to come.

_As long as there's no lightening, _Splitpaw muttered in her head.

"_Splitkit, get up. Dreamsong wants to look you over," called Strongsoul. _

_Splitkit yawned and blinked open her eyes. The nest was old; she would have to drag some new reeds from the clearing… but she didn't want to go out there! The cats all looked at her weird. Splitkit knew she was different, but that didn't mean that they could look at her with such… abandon. She had feelings!_

_Getting up on sore paws and stretching, she looked at her claws. She had found a little stone, small enough for her to carry into the Nursery without suspicion, that if she rubbed her claws against, it sharpened them! She had no idea when that would help her, since she was still a kit, but maybe she would sink them into Batwing's shoulder…_

_Just a thought…_

_She took a deep breath and stepped out of the Nursery. The sun was shining, and cats were already separating into patrols and tasks for the day. After the usual glares, scowls, and flinches were doled out, she pushed her small body past the lichen that hung as a barrier for the Medicine den. _

_Dreamsong, a pure white she-cat, was mean. There was no better word for it, which Splitkit felt was good to say. The she-cat would just sit and look at herself in the little puddles that were kept full from the drippings of ferns, and would admire herself! After she had done that, she would pull Splitkit over and they would both stare at her faces. _

"_I know what my face looks like," Splitkit had muttered one day, the days where she wanted to run away and burn her face. To cover one side in mud or just… not be her._

"_I know that too, Splitkit. Im making sure you don't get delusions that you are a normal cat in your head."_

_The medicine cat huffed when she didn't reply, and stomped out into the open air to make up something to Strongsoul about her being a hopeless case and that there was no hope for her. _

_Splikit wondered if you looked ugly enough you were considered bad, and if you were good-looking enough, like Batwing, you were considered good, no matter what you said or did. _

_She hoped it wouldn't always be like that. She just wanted to make friends! She was the only kit, and there were no apprentices, though… she couldn't wait to become a warrior! She would be so strong!_

Splitpaw woke from her dream, confused for a moment why her chest was hitching her breath so much. Her and Moonpaw were taking turns letting their eyes rest while the torrential downpour slowed. They still had to cross the Thunderpaths…

A picture of her face in that puddle flashed in her head.

There was a puddle right at her paws. She looked up at Moonpaw, who was glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes.

She flicked her eyes down for a half heartbeat.

She frowned, and broke the flat surface with a unsheathed paw, as if it would make it's copy disappear, too.


	15. Colors

**Hey people! Sorry this chapter is taking so long… the classes im taking are pretty tiring, not including the fact that I got two adult lateral incisors pulled today. Its safe to say im a bit moody. **

**Anyways, I didn't think you guys liked the QOTD stuff! (not like I just forgot it or anything… .) ill be sure to include one for this chapter **

**N'Joy!**

_She sniffles. Rainkit thinks she is sad. She has never felt it before. From her mother's words, she had been born three sunrises ago. She does not open her eyes. Skyheart is worried; apparently she is supposed to have done that by now. Her father is worried, also._

'_Don't worry; I just don't think it would be a good idea,' she would try to say, but words would never come out of her mouth. She wasn't sure if it was supposed to be that way… Skyheart didn't seem bothered that Rainkit didn't reply to her mews. _

_Her mother would tell her everything. Maybe she thought if she made the places she could only with open eyes nice enough, she would open them. It almost worked. She was always stopped by this funny feeling... Sort of like she was going to sneeze, but not quite._

_What were colors? That was one of the things that Skyheart spoke of that she didn't understand in the slightest. Rainkit hadn't the slightest clue what blue, red, yellow, or orange were. Skyheart said the only color she could see with her eyes closed was black, so she was comforted. She didn't like the color black. It made her scared. _

_Her mother would comfort her, still half asleep, to not be afraid of the dark before drifting off again into the soft, painful bliss of sleep._

_But the black is everywhere! It was like running away from your breaths! Rainkit was sick of it._

_The day that she had opened her eyes, the colors had made her head throb. Colors, everywhere! She didn't know what their names were, and she still hadn't after she had been left alone in the Nursery, shunned. She learned through the cracks in the reeds. That had been most of her life. _

_Her favorite color was green. It was very sparse in the Riverclan camp, what with it being brown reeds and bracken, but she saw little bits: the small spouts of moss, the little blades of grass that would spring out between her claws, or the eyes of the medicine cat who tormented her. She didn't like that green, though._

_Ever since she had opened her eyes, the best part about it had been the colors._

That was exactly what Splitpaw lacked right now: Color.

It was very dark. Her eyes hurt.

She was a little scared.

There was one thing to keep her from going into a panic: Moonpaw's pelt.

It was soft, and warm. It reminded her that she didn't have her eyes closed: she was padding down a very thin, dark tunnel on the side of the mountain. They had finally made it to the Moonstone; the moon was almost all the way in the sky and they were tired beyond belief. The Thunderpaths were scilent, there were no monsters.

Moonpaw was pouting that he didn't get to see a monster eat a twoleg. After him describing what he though it looked like, so was she.

She wished she at least saw a monster! It was empty… the only thing different was the horrid, acrid smells and the rough black rock. They still sped as fast as they could across it.

The tunnel was dark. She couldn't see. And she was scared.

Kept her pelt pressed against Moonpaw's, not trying to make him uncomfortable, but she didn't think she would be okay on her own right now.

She felt him stop in from of her. She stretches her eyes, relief flooding through her like the rain had earlier that day as there was a faint glow ahead.

They walk up to it.

They stare.

Its smaller than Splitpaw thought.

"Hey… Splitpaw? Do you think Starclan will… have a prophesy for you? For me?"

She shook her head. If Starclan had something planned for her, they would've visited her sooner.

"Not me, at least. Who knows… maybe you will be like that cat… Firestar was, in those Nursery tales that you told me last night."

He had insisted on telling her a few, upon hearing that she didn't know any.

"…If Starclan doesn't visit you… Dream about me, okay?"

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: (happy? XD) would YOU *as a cat* have cared about going to the Moonstone without a warrior… just a partner? What about a partner you don't quite know, or one you don't get along with? What about one that you did like?**

**My answer will be on the next chapter **

**EmberFall**


	16. You Said Im WHAT?

**Hey guys! I'm sorry (I'm sure that this is getting old) that this took so long to update, I was too busy-**

**Maya: flirting**

**No! I- I was working on this chapter!**

**Maya: then why is your Facebook filled with chats with Mr., Ho-**

**HAHA MAYA YOURE TOO FUNNY**

**Maya: I'm being serious guys; she spent the last three days fangirling over-**

**HAHA STHAP MAYA! ONTO THE STORY!**

**Maya: but wait, I'm not telling them about-**

***drags Maya into the recesses of my mind***

**That's better.**

Splitpaw touched her nose to the stone, and she was swept into darkness.

She looked around. Was she to receive a prophecy?

Or was she going to dream about Moonpaw?

Which one would happen?

Which one did she _want_ to happen?

It's still dark. She was annoyed. She didn't like the dark! She was in dream! Would some darn sunlight come in, already?

As if her thoughts were controlling the dream, sunlight filled her vision. She had to squint for a moment before her dream unfolded.

She is at Fourtrees. The four huge oaks are covered in moss and lichen; she is unable to see the bark anymore. The limbs of the magnificent trees are bent over with the weight of the undergrowth that is growing on top of it.

"That is you, Splitface," a voice called out to her.

Wait, Splitface?

She spun around to see a tom she didn't recognize, but she could tell that he was Riverclan almost instantly by his glossy fur and wet bangs.

"What do you want," she spat. She hated Riverclan. She didn't want to talk to this tom, even if he was a Starclan spirit.

"To simply speak to you; Can I ask that of you?"

_No, you can't,_ she thought sourly, but she saw nothing else to do, and it might save Shadowclan, or herself, so she nodded reluctantly and sat down with a frown.

The Riverclan tom was standing next to her, too close for her comfort, but she didn't want to anger a Starclan cat, Riverclan or not.

"What did you mean, 'that is you'? And my names not Splitface!"

The tom looked at her, and she realized that she could not see his eyes; they were completely covered by his bangs, which were making puddles on the ground.

Oh, great Starclan, she knew who this cat was.

Iceheart.

Splitpaw had met him the day she opened her eyes to the world, and he was the one who made the puddle, that made her see what she was.

"First off, I called you Splitpath, not Splitface. Second, you are that great oak. You will be something great, respected, powerful… if you are not crushed first."

"Crushed? What do you mean?"

Iceheart gestured to the tree that was supposed to be her.

The oak was almost bent in half. Lichen, moss, ferns… everything that was usually on the forest floor was on this tree, and it was killing it.

Suddenly, as if triggered by her thoughts, the trunk snapped so loud that Splitpaw winced. She watched as the elegant, beautiful tree falls to the ground.

When it hits, her chest explodes into pain. She groans, and kneels to the ground. She can see stars.

She is taking deep breaths, trying to focus on anything besides the pain, when Iceheart comes over to her. Upon his touch, the pain disappears. She frowns and turns around to give him reluctant thanks.

He is gone, in his place an enormous puddle.

She didn't have to look, did she?

She took a deep breath, and bent her head over the edge.

She does not see herself.

Instead, she sees three toms. The first two she easily recognizes as Bonepaw and Moonpaw. The third, a silver-blue, blinks back at her confused stare with a kind light. It seems as though Bonepaw and Moonpaw can't see her. They are just looking straight ahead.

Splitpaw is about to call their names when she is pushed from behind by something un-seeable, and she tumbles into the water.

She wakes to find herself on the floor of the Moonstone, Bonepaw just beginning to waken.

Was that it? She would either prosper or… be crushed?!

"…Splitpaw? How was your…. Dream?" Moonpaw's sleep-heavy voice was broken by his yawn.

"F-Fine, and yours?"

"It was fine. I dreamed about you, actually," he said with a goofy grin.

He awaited her reaction.

"Yeah, you could say I dreamt about you, too."

**Again, im sorry that the chapters lately are so short… **

**Maya: maybe its because youre going insane thinking about—**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: okay, im going to try something different today: **

**GUYS: (as in male) what do you think Moonpaw was getting at, when he said that he wanted Splitpaw to dream about him?**

**LADIES: what do you think the third tom had to do with the puddle-vision? (Green eyes and Glasses, be quiet because I'm sure you know)**

**I guess that's it.**

**If you will excuse me, I have to go—**

**Maya: SHES GOING TO GO AND CALL—**

**Goodbye:**

**EmberFall and the late Maya**


	17. Yay! Leaf-bare Is Coming!

**Welcome, my beautiful readers~ Maya here!**

**Wondering where EmberFall is?**

**She's in a happier place at the moment, drooling over her crush~ she left the job to me to type a new chapter, since this is the longest she has gone without updating in more than three months.**

**If she was still sane, she would apologize**

**Anyways, enjoy this long-awaited chapter where hopefully some things will come clear and don't hate EmberFall, hate her crush! (She likes him, I don't)**

**N'Joy~**

The decent from the mountain in the morning light was peaceful, if you could ignore Moonpaw's clumsy stumbles, sending rocks into tumbles down slight cliffs down to the grassy meadows of Windclan's territory about twenty tail-lengths below. The silence between them was comfortable, both of them still tired from their small doze at the Moonstone.

To Splitpaw it had been disgruntling, having been told that she was like one of the great oaks at Fourtrees by the ignorant tom she had known in Riverclan, Iceheart.

To be honest, she didn't remember anything else after that. Like, she knew that something else happened, she knew _that_, she just didn't know… what.

"It sure is getting foggy… the leaf-bare weather is starting to set in! I can't wait to see snow! Its supposed to be so white it makes your eyes hurt and cold enough to make your tongue numb!"

Moonpaw is suddenly spouting random things about the upcoming cold season. Against her will, she wondered how Riverclan survived if snow was supposed to bring a freeze that would make still the rushing, powerful river. She had seen it once, when she had been dragged to the gathering, and she found it hard to believe that the river could be tamed by a cold wind.

But, of course, that had nothing to do with her. She didn't care if Riverclan would suffer this leaf-bare.

"…Splitpaw? Are you listening to me at all?!" Moonpaw walked up in front of her and stood in her path, looking at her with an annoyed expression.

"…No, sorry, Moonpaw; what did you want to tell me?"

"That I can smell a Windclan patrol nearby, but I think if we hurry we won't be confronted."

"Would they confront us? We're just two apprentices!"

Moonpaw paused in his tracks and looked at her like she was a frog-brain.

"Yeah, two _Shadowclan_ apprentices. Haven't you been told the stories about how Shadowclan makes their 'paws eat bones to become warriors?"

"Uh… no?"

"Well, those rumors are out there, and I'm pretty sure Windclan wouldn't let us just go by,"

Now on edge, Splitpaw looked out into the tall grasses. While talking they had left the rocky mountain path and their sore paws were greeted by lush green stalks of grass once more. The sky was indeed getting foggy, accompanied by a cold, dewy wind and the sense of coming rain from the direction of the heavily covered sun. The grass around them waved around in a rhythm of mayhem as the wind increased.

"We better leave here before the rain comes, or we'll be soaked again!"

"…yeah," Moonpaw muttered, looking into the grass to his side. His ears were pricked and eyes narrowed, making Splitpaw also going onto high alert. She didn't hear anything, but she could smell the wild scent of Windclan cats.

"Let's get out of here, before we get caught, too," She muttered, unsettled by Moonpaw's wariness.

"Not so fast, you guys," a smooth voice called out from a gap in the grasses ahead.

Both of them gasping, they took a moment to pry their eyes away from the tom to get into a fighting position.

The tom was a light blue-silver with icy, pale blue eyes. He was larger than her (which wasn't saying much) and a bit taller than Moonpaw, but he was most likely a young warrior.

"Why are you two on Windclan's territory?" he asked. His eyes weren't narrowed, but his lithe, thin form was tense. It was obvious he didn't think of them as a threat, and that irritated Splitpaw. Just because she was small didn't mean that she was weak!

"We are on Shadowclan business," Moonpaw stated boldly, his voice sounding much braver than she knew he felt.

"What does Shadowclan need at Windclan's empty border?"

"We just got back from the moonstone, thank you,"

"Oh yeah? Where's your mentors?"

"I-it's a part of the assignment for us to go alone,"

The tom looked amused.

"I didn't know Shadowclan did this, too!"

Splitpaw and Moonpaw both looked at the silver grey tom with confusion. What in Starclan was he talking about?!

"Haha! I really got you guys! I'm not a silly Windclan cat! I'm a Riverclan apprentice~ They sent me on this task without a mentor, too! It's totally mouse-brained, don't you think?!"

Splitpaw stared. This cat was a Riverclan cat? But she didn't recognize…

It was then with a jolt she realizes that this cat can't be Riverclan, she was the only kit in the clan at the time!

He was also the only cat to not have flinched or said anything about her face by now.

He was also Riverclan, the clan that abused her.

Why did she think he was cool?

**Hehe, the suspence levels in my mind cannot rise above five. Out of one hundred.**

**(its EmberFall) I have been in a giant hole full of writers block, laziness, homework, computer-curfew, and a completely illogical crus with a guy older than me.**

***if you don't give a mouse-dung, ignore everything up to the QOTD**

**I swear, im falling for every stereotype there is in Highschool, as far as Freshman relationships go! Im two weeks into the school year, and I get excited when he comes near, when he sits next to me at unch, when I cheer for him at football games (HES A QUARTER BACK!) and when we chat till two in the morning on facebook messenger **

**I am going crazy**

**(I will love you if you get this refrence) Maya: hurry and hit her! Ive seen this before, they go insane and try and kill them before long! Shes not far from insanity~**

**:'( :')**

**QUESTION OF THE FREAKING DAY! What is your opinion of the unknown Riverclan tom? His origins? His role in the story? **

**I love you all, and Maya… well, shes Maya..**

**MMWAH~**

**EmberFall and Maya**


	18. He Has A Name, Now

**Hello, my Ember-bites!**

**Hehe, that's something my best friend, came up with… Ember-bites…. Hehehe XD**

**Anyways, here's some answers to ya'lls (yes, I'm southern so I say ya'll) comments!**

**Prowriter13: maybe… I'm not completely sure yet what his role will contribute to the story**

**OshawottStream: hehe, you sure know what you want :P**

**Patches the Loner: thanks! I think I need all the support I can get 0.0 (I hope he never reads this)**

**Bubbling Chaos: ah, I remember 7****th**** grade… no regrets XD sorry I couldn't post Sunday for you before school started, but I hope you enjoy this one (:**

**Waytheballbounces: your theory… it made me question the whole universe. I hope you're proud… I just literally sat down and stared at a wall, thinking**

**Petalwish: I have a feeling that I have started a little Ewdard/Jacob thing with Bonepaw and Moonpaw… oh god. Maya sends you lots of smiles**

**Alleykat29: happy nao? XD I LOVE YOU TOO GIR!**

**Moonbeam141: just friend. ONLY FRIEND…. *sad sigh***

**Okay, that's just about it (: did I miss you? Oops o.o as an excuse, I have a cold and my head feels like its full of cobwebs**

**Onto the story~**

"Yeah, it's crazy," Moonpaw muttered, sending a sidelong glance at Splitpaw as if to say, '_who in Starclan is this mouse-brain tom?' _, or at least that's what she read out of it.

The tom sat down, as if nothing was out of place, and started cleaning his paws. His lithe grey/silver body, now that he told them what clan he was from, held obvious signs of Riverclan, such as his hooked claws and glossy fur. He has larger than normal paws, each looking fluffy and adorabl-

Wait, what was she thinking?! He was Riverclan, it didn't matter that his paws looked softer than swan feathers, she will hate him! He's Riverclan, the clan that abused her. Ignored her. Destroyed her early moons. Made her apprentice training twice as hard as it should be, and made her feel like a stranger in her own body, at times.

"I caught a rabbit a bit earlier and it was too big for me to finish, so if you two want some you can," the tom spoke after a moment's more of cleaning, and got up. He reminded her of another cat, she realized, but she couldn't remember who…

"Wait, isn't that breaking the Warrior Code?! You can't hunt on another clan's territory!"

Moonpaw looked bothered. It was one thing that they were talking with a Riverclan cat, but it was a completely different leaf if said tom just broke the Code.

"Who cares? Haven't you heard, Windclan is extremely short on cats right now, they won't risk losing any more in petty prey fights,"

Moonpaw looked taken back, and struggled for a retort. The tom didn't look satisfied that Moonpaw didn't agree.

"Besides, maybe I _am_ Windclan, and I'm just testing you to see how you react to a cat breaking the Warrior Code?"

Splitpaw's head started to hurt. Would he really do something like that? Would he attack them for being on his territory, after all?

"Or maybe I'm Thunderclan, and I'm speaking to you because we're about to ambush Windclan's camp? What would you two do, then?"

Saying the last part, he looked straight into her eyes. Splitpaw tried to imagine what he saw when he looked at her.

He saw a small she-cat, the size of a large kit with a messy pelt, full of black and orange, with a ruffled white chest and underbelly. He saw perked ears, angled to take up every noise, eyes that were two different colors of strange, a nose that was split in two, and a face that made him wince, to flinch, to turn away…

But he hasn't. This silver tom hasn't flinched at her. He hasn't mentioned her face, or her eyes… or even say anything to her.

"Well, never mind that, 'cause I am Riverclan, on a mouse-brained 'mission' without a mentor, heading to the Two-leg place to grab catmint. We don't even need catmint! We have plenty, I saw Dreamsong with two huge piles drying in the sun! 'Its good experience,' my mentor tells me!"

Splitpaw flinched only the slightest bit when the medicine cat's name was called. The tom's eyes flickered to her for half a heartbeat before going back to coasting over the edges of grass.

Moonpaw, not caring in the slightest, had gone and dragged the rabbit out into the open to start eating. He motioned with his head, asking her if she wanted any, but if felt like the traveling herbs were still working for her, she felt really… full, even though she felt her stomach grumbling quietly.

"Oh, I'm Rapidpaw; by the way, what are you names?"

"I'mph Moonpaw," her partner mumbled through a mouthful of rabbit.

"Apmh shmps-" the mouse-brain grey tom finally swallowed the rabbit in his mouth.

"And she's Splitpaw,"

Rapidpaw looked at her for another moment, then up at the sky, which although still dark and cloudy, one could tell it wouldn't be long before the sun began setting.

"I've got to go if I want to make it to the two-leg place by tonight, I'll see you guys at the Gathering!"

Moonpaw nodded, took one last bite of the rabbit, and began to disappear into the grass.

Splitpaw was just about to follow him into the shadows when a tail wrapped around hers.

"Promise you'll come to the Gathering?"

Rapidpaw's pale blue eyes stared right back into hers with intensity that took Splitpaw by surprise and left her a stuttering mess.

"Y-yeah, I'll… I'll try,"

He grinned, white fangs flashing.

"Great, ill see you there!"

And just like that, he was gone. What in Starclan…

So, he was a Riverclan tom. An apprentice, probably around her age of nine moons.

But, even if he was older, there had been no apprentices in Riverclan when she was born. She was an only kit to Strongsoul and Skyheart.

So who was Rapidpaw?

**Hopefully, this had a bit more tension at the end~**

**Okay, I love you all so much!**

**QUESTION OF THE… yeah.: any new thoughts on this Riverclan tom who now has a name? main question: what side are you on currently? (Team) Bonepaw, (Team) Moonpaw, OR (Team) Rapidpaw? *im not saying hes a love interest, I honestly don't know yet***

**Try and guess what team I am? XD**

**EmberFall **


	19. Finally Back Home

**You guys scare me, just so you know… you really do.**

**Im so sawrry I made a Twilight reference ;-;**

**Hmm… I was asked who my favorite cat is in the Warriors series… Mine's from Crookedstar's Prophecy, the Darkforest cat named Mapleshade. Did you Ember-bites know she was the basis for Emberwing and her Dark counterpart Silverdust in my "A Warrior's Love Story, Plus Some?" yeah, she wuz XD**

**Anyways, I just wanted to say from the bottom of my heart how much all of your comments lift my day and make this story apart of my everyday life. While I eat I think of Rapidpaw and how I will develop his character. While I get dressed I ponder: Bonepaw or Moonpaw? While I do homework I ask myself how on earth this story will ever end.**

**(I know you guys hate that last word… "end" so do I, it was the hardest thing ever to end "A Warriors Love Story")**

**Anyways, you guys don't have to worry about ends for a while yet… N'Joy the story!**

They finally reached Shadowclan territory as the sun was finishing its beautiful decent into the tree line, and Silverpelt was already shining behind them. The air around them was cool; it was not hot enough to have little bit bugs fly around their ears, but the sounds of frogs in the marsh was almost deafening.

It was so comforting to have Shadowclan's pine trees engulf them once more; it was like being surrounded by everything she loved. Splitpaw couldn't wait to collapse into her own comfy nest and drift off into a peaceful, _dreamless_ sleep…

"Hey, look Coalfoot, they're back!"

Moonpaw's ears pricked as he heard Bravepaw's excited mew break through the pines. The ginger tom's pelt was obvious after another moment, Coalfoot taking another moment to spot with her dark grey/black pelt. So Bonepaw and Bravepaw had already made it back from the Moonstone…

"Bravepaw! You're already back? How was your journey!"

The two toms padded off back towards the camp, snorting and laughing in such a way that they startled a group of crows that were making ear-throbbing noises and made them fly away in a panic.

Shaking her head at those two toms, she turned her head back and nodded her head to her mentor. Had Coalfoot shrank since Splitpaw had left? She was now shoulder height with the warrior…

"I watched you two until you arrived at the Two-leg place… how did it go after?"

Splitpaw explained to Coalfoot how they had passed through the two Thunderpaths without trouble, shared tongues with Starclan, left and went through the territories once more back to where they were, now.

She did not mention Rapidpaw.

She doesn't know why.

While explaining, they had begun to make their way back to camp, the sun just about to set and sending the pines and marsh into long shadows and dim beams of light.

"Well, it certainly looks like you and Moonpaw came back for better and not worse, that's good. I'm thinking about the possibility of making you two Partners once you become warriors… maybe. Keep up the good work, Splitpaw. To think you've been here only two moons… I am impressed."

Coalfoot left her with these words, moving swiftly past the brambles and into the clearing full of the scents of cats that she hadn't seen in almost three sunrises. She wondered how Driftpaw's Partnership with the warrior went, and if they were back yet.

If Bravepaw was back, then so would Bonepaw, she realized. No sooner had she thought this was she almost scared soul-less by the black pawed white apprentice.

"Ah! Don't scare me like that, you mouse-brain!"

Bonepaw's dark blue eyes glowed in the dim light.

"Sorry," he muttered, looking up at Silverpelt with a pained expression and a huff.

Splitpaw somehow felt responsible for his sudden mood shift. "Uh… sorry. How was your journey?"

Still with his neck craned upwards, he peeked at her staring earnestly back from the corner of his eyes.

"It was… uneventful, besides Bravepaw's constant complaining. You?"

"Oh, uh… cool. Mine was… fine."

Bonepaw looked at her.

"Whatever you say. I made you a new nest; I know you would be tired after being Partners with Moonpaw and his suffocating personality."

Splitpaw was about to defend her Partner, but a huge yawn made its way up her throat and made her jaw stretch, Bonepaw taking that as an agreement.

"Come on, I found a couple of feathers at the marsh today…"

Bonepaw's voice drifted off as he pushed past the brambles. Splitpaw sighed, wanting to just stay and look up at the stars of her ancestors, but the ache in her body and the fog in her brain that had been hanging over her since she had met Rapidpaw made her body follow the white tom back to the Shadowclan camp.

Everyone was getting ready for a night's sleep or the moon-high border patrol, so the clearing was fairly deserted. She almost bounded over to the fresh-kill pile, but she was able to properly run over without tripping over herself.

Splitpaw scarfed down a small mouse, licking her lips with a contented sigh, wanting nothing more than to close her eyes that very heartbeat and sleep, but her pelt was in a state less pleasant than she would like, and it was something that her mind wouldn't let her put off until morning.

Pushing herself through the bush to the apprentice den, she felt warm inside to see her nest, fluffy with bright green moss and lined with brown feathers. Bonepaw had seemed to have moved his nest, making it slightly closer to hers.

Her eyes slowly adjusting, she settled down and began the laborious task that was making herself presentable for the morning.

She had only been cleaning for a couple of heartbeats when she almost jumped out of her fur. Bonepaw's tongue was on her back, on the one spot she had been struggling to reach without waking everyone.

Speechless, she just stared as he finished the spot and pulled a couple of leaves from the scruff of the back of her neck.

"It would've taken you all night otherwise," he mumbled, averting his eyes, which were shining.

"T-Thanks," she stuttered.

"No problem….. Sleep well,"

Starclan, was she tired! Between Moonpaw the weird, Rapidpaw the mysterious, and Bonepaw the confusing… she's impressed she made it through the day at all. Now she just had to go the gathering.

Which was tomorrow night.

**Yay! I hope you guys liked the Bonepaw fluff I added… all of my Bonepaw-ies were just foaming at the mouth, im sure.**

**Speaking of Bonepaw-ies…**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: well, this one is a request. Go to my profile the very top, right under my name is a poll vote for your favorite tom! (this will determine how the story will continue)**

**Wish your tom luck! :* im giving you guys three days! now GO VOTE! **

**EmberFall~**


	20. The Shiny Things

**I'm pretty sure we've all had an awkward moment. Maybe your friend goes to the bathroom and forgets to flush the toilet afterwards. **

**That can be awkward.**

**Or maybe you accidently tell your friend that you're hanging out more with their ex then them. That's a fun conversation.**

**Now, let's say that you like this guy. A lot. So, it's only normal to introduce him to your best friend, right? Right. So you do. And they become friends. Your best friend cancels your plans together to hang out with him. Then she asks you how to ask him out, because she doesn't know you like him. No one does. You say you don't know. She says she'll wait. Then, one day at lunch you're sitting with them, and the guy goes to the bathroom. Your best friend goes to warm up her food in the microwave. You go a few minutes later to refill your water bottle at the fountain. **

**You see them making out in an empty hallway.**

**And they hear you.**

**And they just stare as you start to cry.**

**That can be awkward.**

The morning she woke up, Splitpaw could already tell it was going to be a bad day. Maybe it was her pelt, which both she and Bonepaw had cleaned the night before, which was now looking even messier than it had been. Maybe it was her head, which was pounding like a past heartbeat behind her ears.

Either way, the sky - a stormy grey with bitter winds making it feel like they were hairless – matched her mood exactly.

Of course, everyone else was absolutely _spectacular_.

"Hey Splitpaw!" Bravepaw called her over, once she finally got up from her nest. She could barely keep her eyes open, but she dragged her paws over to where the rest of the apprentices were and practically collapsed onto the ground, only bothering to nod when Driftpaw passed her part of a mouse.

"We were just discussing what warrior names we will get! Hey, Splitpaw, don't you think that Braveswipe is an awesome name, or what?!"

"Yeah, it's amazing," she muttered. She didn't want to be rude, but she just wanted to… be asleep.

Bravepaw, being the mouse-brain that he is, wasn't fazed at her unenthusiastic response in the slightest.

"Hey, guys, what would be a good name for Splitpaw?"

There was a mixture of amusement and uncomfortableness they glanced at each other, Bonepaw, Driftpaw, and Moonpaw.

"Bonepaw… this isn't a good id-

"Oh, be quiet, Driftpaw, and let me think up of a good one! It's no fun with her, though… it's obvious that her name's 'gonna be Splitface…"

Moonpaw, looking…. Like something, just peeked at her before filling his vision with a half-eaten frog. Driftpaw huffed, too bothered by Bravepaw's rudeness to defend Splitpaw. Bonepaw was trying to thinking of something to say to her, glaring at Bravepaw, but before he could speak empty words of comfort she felt her body push herself off the hard ground and towards the forest.

"Splitpaw, wait-

"Leave me alone"

Splitpaw was lost. What was wrong with her, today? She felt so… real. No, not real… but the feelings that she felt for her mother, father, Riverclan… she just woke up not holding them back. It shocked her how hard it had been to hold them inside of her head, like a fox stuck in brambles, rearing its ugly head at the slightest sound.

She barely felt her paws hit the pine-strewn forest floor as her trot turned into a run, her head tucking into her chest to protect her eyes and snout from low-hanging pine needles as she sped towards… nowhere.

Riverclan… she didn't have words for that clan. No kind words. Splitpaw had done nothing wrong but be born, and she had been shunned, ignored, separated, and hated. She grew thinking that she was evil, an abomination.

She still remembers that day, too.

_She had been cleaning her pelt, like she had been for the past five moons. Splitpaw swore, if she padded outside she would be painful to look at directly, her fur would reflect the light of the sun._

_She thought her fur would look just like the Shiny Things._

_The Shiny Things appeared in her nest when she woke up from a stressful night's sleep; when the lightening make her squeal and eventually pass out from exhaustion. When she would wake the next day, there would be little pieces of the Shiny Things in front of her, arranged in a perfect little circle. _

_At first, when she was younger, she thought they were from Starclan. Were they sending them to her, to make sure that she would believe in them? To tell her that there was a prophecy to come about her?_

_But, as the moons went by and she went from a little kit to… well, a bigger kit, she knew that these weren't from her starry ancestors. Who, she didn't know, but just… not them._

_It would take more than Shiny Things to make her forgive them for making her so ugly._

_The Shiny Things were small, probably about the size of her little kit claws, thin, and flakey. Sometimes, when she had groomed her pelt so much she was impressed that she wasn't stiff, she would lick her sore tongue across her paw, press it up against the little pile of Shiny Things in the corner of the Nursery, and try to catch her reflection. _

_Was she really so ugly, after all? The reflection with the tiny pieces were horrible; disordered and bumpy, but she didn't look bad… the cats in Riverclan had pretty plain pelts. Was it not refreshing to have a cat with more than amber or gold eyes and black, tan, or white fur?_

_Eventually she had started to question even her own thoughts. If her face was messed up, why not her thoughts, too? Maybe her very mind was ugly. Maybe she would be like Tiger, the tom that Skyheart told her about, before she had opened her different eyes_

_Once upon a time there had been a cat called Tiger. He had been a very bad cat. He didn't like listening to the leader, so he left Windclan and went to Thunderclan, where he killed kits and made cats very sad. One day Tiger got what was coming, and he died at Starclan's words of justice._

_The end._

_Splitkit had worried her end would be from sadness._

**Yeah, yeah, 'Emberfall, a good writer dosent let outside interactions affect the chapters!"**

**Boo freaking Hoo.**

**It was about time Splitpaw felt some real emotions.**

**Anyways, gathering next chappie, I hope it'll come out tomorrow.**

**Just so you know, I didn't MEAN for three days to become seven, but here are the results to the tom poll:**

**Bonepaw: 22 votes (59%)**

**Rapidpaw: 5 votes (13%)**

**Moonpaw: 10 votes (27%)**

**QUESTION OF THE FREAKING DAY: who were the Shiny Things from? Do you think that there IS a prophecy for Splitpaw?**

**ONE GOOD WARRIOR NAME: for each apprentice, Rapidpaw included, now taking suggestions!**

'**till next time, a hopefully less emotional me,**

**EmberFall**


	21. That Poor Frog

**Hey there (: **

**Yes, that did actually happen, but im okay now… my bust guy friend prescribed me ten hours of dubstep and a six pack of mountain dew, im as good as new, now.**

**So, yeah**

**N'Joy the story!**

It took a while to calm down.

And when she said a while, she meant she had enough time to catch three frogs and a squirrel before she stopped heaving curses at Riverclan in her mind.

The she was in a part of the territory she hadn't been before; it was pretty steep, with very small, thin pine trees closely packed together. The sun, now on the other side of the sky, was beginning to set as she went back to the camp with her anger-fueled catches.

The sky was orange with the setting sun, clouds rippling shades of purple, and the full moon that signaled the Gathering was already shining brightly against the surrounding sky. Taking a deep inward sigh, she prepared for finding out if she was going or not. The odds were that she was; the last two while she was in Shadowclan had gone by full of her growing stronger –albeit slowly- and she was probably just physically strong enough to travel back to those four huge oaks now.

Her neck aching, she pushed through the bracken only pausing when one of the frogs that had been hanging half out of her mouth caught on a thorn and made a pretty big mess.

Make that two frogs and a squirrel.

"Splitpaw! Where were you?!"

Mouse-dung; she forgot that she had basically skipped the day. At least Sharpstar had given them the day off for their journey recovery, but it was still new to her that cats cared where she was.

"Sorry, Coalfoot, I lost track of time."

The smoky grey she-cat looked skeptical.

"Of the whole day?"

"…Yeah. I caught some prey, though. I'll go bring it to the elders now,"

Slipping past her mentor with a quiet sigh, she padded rather quickly over to the small bracken-protected den where the two elders, Barkfall and Briarscratch resided.

The two elders, mates for countless seasons, were both very kind. Barkfall was a skinny grey tom, whose fur was missing in places and let one see the soft pink flesh below. Briarscratch was skinny also, but her joints ached so much she barely ever got up anymore, except to go to the dirtplace.

Splitpaw had no idea why they were so skinny; they ate more than she did half of the time.

Pushing through the trundles of bracken she greeted the old mates and placed the prey at their nests.

"Thank you, dear, I was just craving some frog something fierce!"

Letting out the shadow of a purr, Briarscratch licked Splitpaw's ear and began to tear apart the poor green piece of prey.

"What she said," muttered Barkfall around a mouthful of squirrel. After another nod Splitpaw backed out of the elder's den and bumped Bravepaw on the way.

"Oh, um… I'm sorry for earlier, Splitpaw. For calling you-"

"AHEM…"

Bravepaw flinched when Driftpaw's voice from the edge of the clearing interrupted him. The bossy grey apprentice's hazel eyes glared into the ginger's back, and he shifted uncomfortably and struggled to recover from almost offending her even more.

"What I meant to say was…"

Chuckling a bit, Splitpaw decided to free him from the torment.

"It's okay, Bravepaw. I was just… really tired this morning."

"Oh. Okay then! Oh, and Sharpstar said that she wants to talk to you, by the way."

"Thanks," she muttered.

"No problem!"

Oh, great Starclan, she was in trouble for running off, wasn't she?!

Nerves shaking her paws, she made her way to the fern-shrouded leader's den, heart beating a past paced run in her chest.

The russet leader was hunched over a huge leaf, one of countless many that littered the whole area, along with the black dull rocks that made her nose wrinkle involuntary.

"Ah, come in, Splitpaw." Ordered the leader, looking up from the leaf. "You're not in any sort of trouble."

The weight that seemed to be on her back and shoulders lifted and floated away, along with a breath that she had been holding.

"What do you need from me, then?"

"well, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to the Gathering. It's just because Riverclan will be there, and… well, I don't blame you for not going if you don't want to…"

Heat burned inside her at the mention of the fish-eating clan.

"No, I'll go, Sharpstar… I just might now be the happiest cat there, that's all."

"Well, in that case, go grab a piece of prey and get ready to go… can you also tell Bonepaw that he's going to be your partner for the Gathering? Id like someone to keep an eyes on you, just in case."

"Yes, Sharpstar,"

**Hey! Sorry this chapter was sort of short… I'll try to post again soon! (anywhere from four to seven days ;-;)**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: (request today) I NEED OC'S! lots of cats in the gtahtering… I need mostly cool names for the three other clans, only one or two real personalites please… ill try to introduce every one (:**

**Emberfall~**


	22. Between a Bone and the Rapids

**Hey! I'm sorry this stuff is taking so long to create… progress reports came out Thursday, and for the first time in almost five years I brought home good grades! *knocks on wood***

**Anyways, you guys are so awesome! (But ya'll already know that!) the OCs are awesome… you guys created all of Thunderclan and Windclan! I'm adding a couple of my own OCs for Riverclan, but just know that I couldn't use EVERY cat, I tried to take one cat from each comment… I'm sorry!**

**Anyways, onto the story!**

"Bonepaw, you're my partner for the gathering," Splitpaw called out from the fresh-kill pile to the apprentices who were eating around a couple frogs. Grabbing a vole, she padded over and tried to not act so nervous about going to the Gathering.

Riverclan was going to be there. Maybe her parents. Definitely cats that shunned her.

New cats would be there, also. More cats to flinch at her face.

But, the little voice in her head reminded her that there could also be some new friends there, also.

And another thing…

The strange Riverclan cat, Rapidpaw, would be there.

"…Splitpaw? I said were you ready? The group is getting together…"

Splitpaw was shaken out of her head by Bonepaw's mew. Muttering her answer through the last bite of vole, she got up and followed the black pawed apprentice to the entrance where the rest of the clan who was going was waiting.

Apparently, she and Bonepaw were the only 'paws going this moon, but this did little to comfort her. The more Splitpaw thought about it, the less she wanted to confront her past; especially with Bonepaw watching her.

The journey to Fourtrees wasn't as bad as she had remembered it to be when she was a kit. The sky was clear, the pinpoints of Silverpelt starting to show in the dark blue sky and the full moon had a reddish tint to it.

"Now, Splitpaw, stick close to me at the Gathering, okay? There are a lot of huge cats and I don't want you to get lost-"

"Don't worry, I've been one before, I understand…"

Bonepaw gave her a suspicious sideways glance. "How in Starclan have you been to a… Oh. I…uh… forgot about that, sorry Splitpaw. I guess… I guess Riverclan will be there too, wont they…"

Trying not to place her worry on the sweet tom's shoulders too, she faked a smile. "Well, it is a Gathering now, isn't it? I'd _hope_ Riverclan will be there!"

Thankfully, Bonepaw seemed to let the conversation slip into something more comfortable (how Bravepaw and Driftpaw had been getting awfully cozy together…) and let Splitpaw worry in peace.

What if Strongsoul and Skyheart were there? What would she say? _Would_ she say anything at all? What would they say? Sure, she had grown, but...and of course, Dreamsong the Riverclan medicine cat would be there, probably Batwing also.

And Glowstar.

They neared the rim of the slight slope that led down to the crowds upon crowds of cats below. All pelts, all sizes, with three different smells assaulted her senses, and she found herself unconsciously searching for cats that were from Riverclan.

"Hey, Splitpaw let me show you to the other clan's apprentices! There are so many!"

Letting a white tail guide her through the masses of cats that didn't seem to notice her, they came to a small pine where the younger cats were sharing tongues.

"Hey, Bonepaw!" a fluffy grey tom called from the base of the trunk.

"Oh, hey, Fuzzypaw! You too, guys!" following Bonepaw over to the cats who smelled like the moors and were quite skinny, she was greeted with averted glances from some and smiles from others.

"Splitpaw, these are Windclan's apprentices. Can you believe there are eight of them?! I can barely handle our other three!"

"You're telling me," grumbled a black and white splotched she-cat.

"Don't bother Thornpaw," Fuzzypaw joked, "Her mentor, Whiteflower, saw her miss a huge grey rabbit this morning and has been in a sour mood ever since!"

"Fuzzypaw… be nice, please!" a hazel she-cat tried to say loudly, but ended up getting overtaken by a brown tom who leapt over her and tackled a skinny silver tom who was staring at Splitpaw's face.

Bonepaw, laughing, pointed out to her that the hazel she-cat was Heatherpaw, the tom that had leapt over her Mudpaw, and the skinny silver tom's to be Coldpaw, along with one other, Foxpaw, a slight ginger tom.

Leaving the wrestling mass that was Windclan's cats, they greeted a slightly smaller group of Thunderclan 'paws; Sunpaw, Rockpaw, and Hailpaw had proven to be a lot… _quieter _than Windclan, but they didn't look at her, except for one who was dragged away by the bright silver one when she had gone over to Splitpaw.

'_Lousy mouse-brains_,' she muttered in her head, now searching for that lithe, silver blue grey pelt that smelled like reeds and fresh water…

Rapidpaw was nowhere to be seen, but she did find something else:

Strongsoul, a strong Riverclan tom with tan fur and a ginger stripe from nose to tail…and her father.

And a moment later Rapidpaw joined him at his side. Blue eyes met her mismatched one and he grinned and beckoned her and Bonepaw over.

"Hey, I've never seen him before! Let's go say 'hi'!"

Splitpaw took a moment too long to voice her opinion. Strongsoul turned around and stared straight at her. His blue eyes bored into hers. She felt such a strange burning sensation in her pelt, and she felt the overwhelming urge to look away.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Bonepaw and Rapidpaw watching with confusion, only after another moment Bonepaw's transformed into understanding.

Her father's voice was cold as he spoke to Rapidpaw beside him still.

"Rapidpaw, leave, this does not concern you,"

"But-"

"_Go_,"

"No! What do you have to do with her?"

"I told you, its nothing-"

"You're her father," Bonepaw spat, finally propelled to his paws as he stood protectively in front of her.

"Get out of my way, 'paw! This has nothing to do with wither of you!"

Both toms flattened their ears at her father's harsh tone.

No, this cat was not her father.

"You don't have anything to do with me, either," she said quietly.

Not only him, but the two apprentices and some other cats who had been watching with interests' eyes flashed to her.

"What did you say?"

Strongsoul's voice was dangerous and low.

"I said, _you don't have anything to do with me, either_, Strongsoul," she felt a flare of confidence flare through her pelt and head. It felt_ good_.

"Why, you little… you don't speak to your father that way!"

Finally, it all broke free. She shouldered Bonepaw away, ignoring his noise of warning, and got right up in her father's face, less than a claw-length away from touching noses. In the back of her mind she relished how she was almost his height.

"You're _not_ my father. You were _never_ my father. Riverclan was never my clan. You shunned me, left me alone, and never showed me love. _I hate you_!"

"I-

"Strongsoul, i think you might want to stop... You're making Starclan angry…" Goldenflame muttered, gesturing up to the moon with her ginger tail, becoming partially covered with clouds.

"It's not me! It's her! See, Splitpaw? Even Starclan thinks you're a miscreation…" he sneered. It wouldn't have been so bad, but the other cats from Riverclan, like Batwing, had come and where whispering about her to the rest of the clans. More and more cats stepped away from her, until only she was in a circle as wide as two cats. Bonepaw had disappeared, and Rapidpaw looked conflicted.

The confidence Splitpaw had felt earlier was gone.

Was… was she really a miscreation?

**Duh, duh, duhhhhh! **

**Sorry this was a bit of a cliffe… *cough imtoolazytocontinue cough***

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: who do you think will come to her rescue… if anyone at all? XD**

***run-off question* do you guys want me to stop the A/Ns? I feel like this story is half a blog or something sometimes… ;-;**

**EmberFall**


	23. Well?

**:O guess wut! **

**I have a new story out! **

**It is called "Nine Lives" and is going to be a series of depressing One-Shots about the different things that Leaders have to go through that isn't included in the books. (Usually having to do with and/or ending in death) so, yeah! I would love if you guys checked that out, followed it, favorite it, commented suggestions for further chapters… XD**

**Onto the story! (This chapter is dedicated to Silverleaf of Ravenclan so she doesn't go insane or kill anyone.)**

Okay, Splitpaw prided herself on being self-reliant, but even she could admit right now that she was scared and needed some help. Her father, Strongsoul, had her in a very bad situation. He had convinced almost half of the Gathering that she was the reason the moon was becoming covered in clouds… that Starclan was angry that she was there. She had finally stood up to one of the main reasons she was the way she was, but it had backfired.

Bonepaw was nowhere to be seen, and now neither was Rapidpaw. Cats around her were murmuring and looking at Splitpaw suspiciously.

"What clan is that poor cat in?" whispered a white she-cat with a black tail to a dark ginger tom with golden stripes.

"I don't know, Raventail, but she smells like a Shadowclan cat!"

"I've never seen her before," whispered a calico she-cat who padded over to where the other two were sitting as Splitpaw was stuck in the center of cats.

"Me neither, Holleywing, I'm sure I would've remembered a face like… _that_."

"Yeah… what do you think, Greywillow?"

"Hmmph… I don't know what Shadowclan is trying to pull, bringing _it_ here,"

"Oh, come on… maybe that little cat isn't the most pleasant to look at, but maybe she had nothing to do with it, Greywillow! I'm sure you don't think because Silentfeather is deaf she's an 'it', do you?" argued a silver she-cat. They all glanced at Splitpaw.

"I…I guess not, but that cat… I've never seen anything of the likes of her. Do you think this is a message from Starclan or something?"

Then, right when the ginger tom -who's name she had caught to be Blazestrike- had been about to answer, Batwing had pushed his snotty pelt right up into the small group of Thunderclanners.

"Yeah, like how Starclan is warning us not to trust her? She just looks like an evil cat! You have no idea what's running through her head!"

Anger rushed through her. That stupid tom… what had she ever done to him?! That amber-eyes cat was asking for her to claw his eyes out…

A few Windclan cats were siding with the idea that Shadowclan was up to something.

"Why else would they bring such a huge distraction? They're planning an ambush, I tell you, and that 'paw over there is the best diversion they could ever ask for!" a tiny grey she-cat yowled to the Gathering and all who were listening.

"Skyrunner, calm down! Even if that was the case, which it's_ not_, you're not helping anything," an older grey she-cat mumbled, looking up at the moon, now all but disappeared in the clouds of Starclan's anger. A cold, shiver-inducing breeze ruffled the leaves of the Fourtrees.

"But Frozenfire-

Then, like a savior, the four leaders came out from their space behind the oak trees and climbed their own tree.

"What seems to be the problem," boomed the Thunderclan leader, a huge black tom with bright green eyes. He had been the first to look away when she had first come as a kit.

"Fernstar… Shadowclan brought an apprentice that had quite the… looks about her." Claimed a cat in the crowds, towards the front.

Fernstar looked from the other two leaders, Glowstar and the Windclan leader, before addressing Sharpstar.

"Is this true, Sharpster?"

"Yes," she replied dryly, "I do believe that I can bring whatever cats I want to this Gathering,"

"Yes," interjected the ginger Windclan leader, "But did you really have to bring… her? She is causing quite a disruption! She should be ashamed of herself!"

Okay.

That

Was

_It_

"I can't help it!" she yowled at the top of her voice, squeezing her eyes shut and just letting the keen settle in the deathly quiet clearing.

"I can't help that I was born this way! Do you all honestly think that I _asked_ to be this way? That I _wanted_ to look like this? I can't help that I wasn't perfect for you, Strongsoul, or good enough to be in Riverclan, but don't blame Sharpstar or anyone else! Just _try_ to see it from my point of view? What if you were the one with something wrong with you, but you thought it was perfectly normal? What if every…Every cat that looked at you flinched or made rude comments about you? If they kicked you out of everything you've ever known? _How would you feel_?"

Sobs had made her stutter towards the end, but it felt so good just to yowl it out to the now-clear moon and the stars of her otherworldly ancestors.

It was too quiet for her comfort.

"Well?" she said softly.

… **(': that turned out pretty good, for some venting that went by in about ten minutes.**

"**Lie" by Jubyphonic is now my new favorite song…. CHECK IT OUT! XD**

**QUESTION OF THE FREAKING DAY!: hehehe… *trying to think of a good question (I never plan these in advance)* hmm…...… what do you think Rapidpaw and Bonepaw are doing? *slight dirty thought* NO NO NO NO NO BRAIN!**

**EmberFall**


	24. Excuse Me?

**News update! I officially have a Deviantart account! (Names and stuffs at the bottom) so now you all can see my drawings of both Moonpaw Bonepaw, Bravepaw, Etc., but also Emberwing, Troutclaw, and Beetleeyes from my last story! *later on ill add cats from my one-shot and my on-the-side story***

**;') YOU GUYS ARE TRULY SPECTULAR! 500 REVIEWS! I truly am so… I don't even have words! Sunday the 22****nd**** I had my record broken for most views in on day (previously 678) to 896 VIEWS! IN ONE DAY! You guys are all of the gears turning in my head, my inspiration, the end to my procrastination, and one of my brightest parts of my day. **

**As a reward, I will do something special! Leave a comment on what you would like me to do, (ask EmberFall Anything, funny skit, maybe a deleted scene from the first chapter of this story… and maybe a little bit o' dream fluff)**

**Again, I'm sorry these chapters are taking so long!**

"Well said, Splitpaw. Can I speak to you for a moment?" Sharpstar ushered her to the edge of the clearing while the other leaders tried to calm down their respective clans.

"I'm proud of you, Splitpaw. I know it took a lot of courage to say what you did," Sharpstar started, but Splitpaw, tired, cut her off.

"It's okay, Sharpstar, I just want to think for a while. Go ahead and do what you need to, I'll be fine."

The russet leader didn't look convinced, but she nodded and backed up a bit.

"Okay, I'll send Bonepaw over, I had him and that Riverclan apprentice keep their distance from you, I knew you would have wanted to resolve this on your own."

Splitpaw nodded and said nothing. Sharpstar padded off to gather Shadowclan back into order.

So, Bonepaw and Rapidpaw hadn't deserted her. At least there was that.

Would Riverclan finally back down and admit all that they had done wrong? Pricking her ears to the leaders giving their reports, her doubtful thoughts were confirmed as Glowstar's yowl rang through the cold night's bitter air.

"We were very kind, giving Splitpaw a second chance in the clans, but we were also wrong. After much consideration with my deputy, we have decided to take Splitpaw back to Riverclan, where she belongs."

_What?_

This is exactly what she had wanted to hear, those first few sunrises after she had been met with hostility, not almost ten moons later! But still… they were asking for her back. They wanted her back. They admitted that they were wrong, and she was needed back in Riverclan.

Of course, then Bonepaw and Rapidpaw decided to rush towards her, oblivious to what Glowstar had stated.

"Splitpaw, are you okay?! I heard what you said, but Sharpstar…" the white apprentice fretted with a worried and pained expression, and she could almost feel the sadness on her tongue.

"it's okay, Bonepaw. I'm fine,"

"yeah, but…"

Rapidpaw stood awkwardly behind Bonepaw, looking down at the ground sheepishly.

"I didn't know my mentor was your father, Splitpaw. I'm sorry,"

Splitpaw sighed again. They really hadn't heard what Glowstar had said.

She wished she hadn't, either.

**Waaa ;-; my shortest chapter, ever I think ): im sorry, im super duper busy right now…**

**Anyways, I go to catch up on the story and see what I had to type… THE STUPID IOS UPDATE PLACED FANFICTION IN MY SPAM BOX! I missed about thirty of yall's reviews and chapter updates… ;-; im pretty upset and I had to create a new e-mail ):**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: what do you think the tom's reactions will be? XD I cant wait to se yall's funny answers (:**

**Deviantart: EmberFall**

**EmberFall~**


	25. Hey, Starclan, Its Splitpaw

**Omg, its OCTOBER! My #1 favorite season… and plus, I can listen to "this is Halloween" as many times as I want and its considered okay (: XD**

**One does not simply… complain to an author :D (you know who you are XD)**

**To all of my readers who may be wondering: yes, I do read every single one of your posts. Do you all want me to start replying to them? I didn't really think I had to because they didn't have any questions that needed to be answered straight away, and I apologize also; some of you may not understand how hard it is to add an OC that you weren't planning to use in the story line be promptly and pressured to use. I try to add names, but I (I'm sorry) am trying to not use any OCs as major characters in this story due to Bias terms, selection, and just plain picking and choosing /:**

**Anyways, onto the story! (PS… your QOTD answers about Bone and Rapidpaw's reactions….. ALL WONDERFUL! They made me laugh!)**

"So, Splitpaw, what were the leaders talking about? We were searching for you and didn't really hea-

Bonepaw was cut off by Glowstar. The fluffy white she-cat, with her deputy and Dreamsong close behind, pushed right up past both him and Rapidpaw and stood imposingly before her.

"We would like to speak with you in private, Splitpaw. I'm sure you…_ understand_."

She had half a mind to say '_no, I_ don't _understand_,' just to see what the horrible leader would say.

"Sure, I guess," is what ended up being muttered out of her mouth. She glanced at the two toms from the corners of her eyes; she couldn't meet their confused stares and confusion.

It ended up, only Glowstar walked with her to a secluded part of the clearing. She didn't want to know what lies the other two were spreading about feeling sorry and wanting her back.

As the glow of the full moon, now sliding slightly onto the other side of the sky, gently became hidden from view by orange leaves, Glowstar stopped, turning to Splitpaw and staring at her face before looking away.

"So, what do you say? Will you come home to where you belong, or stay with filthy Shadowclan?"

She already looked as if Splitpaw was going to lick her paws, thank her, and beg for forgiveness and the privilege of being Riverclan again.

Honestly, Splitpaw was still baffled. Did they really want her back? After all that they had said about her? She wondered if Batwing agreed with this, or her Mother and Father. Did they want her back? As much as she felt herself wanting to hear it… She found it very hard to believe, but…

"I'm… I'm not sure. Can you… g-give me time to think?"

Glowstar gave her a scorning look. "Do you really need to wonder? Think? You know Riverclan is your home, your family… why would you not want that? Why would you even _consider_ staying with Shadowclan?"

"Maybe because you all showed me nothing but aggressiveness, hate, and negligence? Just a thought,"  
she snapped, her irritation peaking at how Glowstar could be so oblivious to the pain they had caused her.

"Oh, Splitpaw! Id this really what it's all about? You were upset because you didn't get enough _attention_? That we were _mean_?"

"Y-You- it's not about being mean, it's about how you affected me! I'm weaker than all of my other friends, because no one would play… with… me."

Okay, when she said it like that, it did sound pretty silly and small… but they still affected her so much!

"Now, Splitpaw, I know you are angry, but there is no need to blame Riverclan because you're weak."

Shame coursed through her. Glowstar was speaking to her like she was a naughty kit that had eaten crow-food.

"I can't look at my reflection! You and all of Riverclan made me hate my looks and feel so unwanted!"

"I can't help you were born ugly," the Riverclan leader snapped. "And it was just your little kit head wanting more attention. All of this is inside your head, Splitpaw!"

"Then why… why did you re-name me Splitpaw? Why did you offer me up to the clans like prey? Why didn't you… want me?"

Glowstar sighed like this was stressful for her or something, and looked at her tiredly.

"No one likes an ugly cat. I can't help that, Splitpaw. _I _didn't change your name, your mother and father did. I didn't give up up, your parents did. I had nothing to do with this, and your kittish attitude is becoming very unattractive and annoying. Now, the Gathering is over, I have to leave, and I will expect an answer by the next."

"But… I have my assessments for my warrior ceremony coming up! I don't think…"

"Think what, Splitpaw? That you will stay with some stupid clan that doesn't have anything to do with you? That doesn't have your family in it? That doesn't make you who you are? Listen, _Split_paw, Riverclan is your _everything_. You seem to have loyalty issues and need me to make that clear. There is Riverclan in your blood, and every moment you spend with Shadowclan is hurting us. Now, _what _did you want to say?"

"Nothing," Splitpaw whispered.

"That's what I thought. I will see you next Gathering, then."

"Yes, Glowstar."

...

"Starclan? It's… It's Splitpaw. I need your help. I think I know what Iceheart meant, with me being weighed down? I feel like I'm about to break. I hope this is all a part of my destiny, because otherwise I don't know if I can make it. So, please make this be what it needs to be. …Okay, uh, thanks Starclan.

Oh, and what do I do if I like three toms as the same time?

QOTD: tell me what you would do to Glowstar. Go on. You know you want to. Go nuts.


	26. Bad Dreams

**Hey, guys! Do I even have to apologize anymore? YES! I was in Charleston all weekend, and this week has been… eventful :I **

**Anyways, this chapter will be shorter, but there will also be a couple of posts to my other story, NINE LIVES so be sure to check that out (:**

**N'Joi**

_Heatherstar traveled silently through the forest, pausing only to glare without reason at the rest of the patrol ahead. Did Starclan really have to keep up the whole border patrol up? Sure, she was a kittypet, but even as she was chosen to be Leader of Thunderclan, she had always thought border patrols were silly. But ignore her._

_Snakefang, the patrol leader, had a scowl dominating his features as he led the patrol of Thunderclan cats, more than she would ever be able to count, towards the giant clearing as big as the sky itself where they still held gatherings every once in a while when there was something important to discuss._

_Flanked by her best friends, Silverleaf and Sunstrike, they made their way down long, winding paths that eventually intersected Riverclan's huge group of cats and they converged, blending into one thriving mass. Cloudmist, Woodsong, Flowriver, Creekwater, Waterfall, and even the grumpy old cat Streamblaze joined in. That was one thing that Heatherstar, even after being in Starclan for countless moons would never get used to: the clans were just names. They didn't fight, they didn't compete for food, relationships were allowed between clans; the newest generation of dead cats didn't even use their Clan titles anymore! It was all very confusing to her._

"_Hey, did you hear what the Gathering is about?" _

_She didn't even bother trying to detect were the mew originated from in the smothering mass._

"_Yea! Something about the cats down there being all mouse-brained and fighting over some cat!"_

"_What? What are we going to do to fix that?"_

"_I don't know! That's why we're all meeting, bird-brain!"_

"_I guess… what have you done with little Mistkit's attitude?"_

_Heatherstar refocused on one group of cats to the other, not really paying attention to any of them. All the new information she had found was the fact that it had been last-minute. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed and shivered against the cold breeze._

_Okay, that was another thing she would never get used to: the weather was just as brutal, just as bottom-freezing, and just as annoyingly annoying as before, back when she was alive. Wasn't she supposed to have the freedom of always having it nice there?_

_Apparently no. the breeze continued to blow at they left the path, swarming like a pack of rats towards where the other cats, thriving and talking and being so incredibly LOUD, had been waiting._

_Like so many others, Heatherstar had been woken from her sleep, (That she annoyingly still needed) and had decided to go back to it along with a pawful of others. They all huddled together; a Riverclan snuggled up to a Shadowclan cat and so forth, until they were a huge mass of fur and slowly rising chests. _

_#_

"_NO!"_

_Her violent awakening left the whole mass disgruntled and grumpy, the clearing now empty and dusty with where millions of pawsteps had already traversed back to their nests in the forest, pines, and river._

_Spotting a tom, as old looking as… well… old could get, staring at the sky, empty of the stars. Since they were the stars themselves… the skies above were just empty and black._

"_E-excuse me, what was the outcome of the Gathering?"_

_The old tom turned to look at her with sightless eyes. _

"_They claimed that the differences between Riverclan and Shadowclan was nothing a little battle couldn't solve. They've already sent a dream to the Riverclan leader, but she hasn't seemed to do anything besides stir up the pond. The Shadowclan leader is probably having hers right now."_

_No… this couldn't be! Not right after the dream she just had! If a Starclan cat got a dream like she just did… great… great Starclan. They were in trouble._

**DUN DUN DUNNNN! **

**QUESTION OF THE DAY!: uh oh… what do you think Heatherstar's dream was about…? How bad on a rate of 1 to 10 do you think the dream affect Splitpaw everyone else? **

**And to the question to whose team im on… I cant say without giving away the plot XD**

**(and Yes, I do know how it is going to end…. Roughly.) )_(**

**Till next time! (hopefully day after tomorrow… but who am I kiddingXD I'll see you when I see you )**


	27. An Ironic New Name

**Hola~ sorry… yeah, you know the drill by now XD**

**ATTENTION: are you really good at creating Warrior names? PM me! I am creating a new fanfiction in the *near* future and if you want to contribute names I'll be more than willing to recognize you for using them (: please don't just send me a PM full of random names, I will need a specific type that I will answer with In the PM! XD**

**Anyways… yeah XD onto the storeh~**

It was a stressful day. In fact, it had been a stressful moon. Splitpaw had struggled in silence for the answers to questions she knew just about as much as when she would die.

But, maybe the stress would take her in the night.

Glowstar was the constant reason of sleep deprivation over the past moon. Questions that she didn't dare to ask anyone floated around in her head like the snowflakes that had begun to fall daily, giving the now everyday grey sky a cold, uncaring atmosphere.

Splitpaw had just finished her final assessment when the snow began to fall again. For the first time that moon, she had felt confident. She knew she did well. She worked with each apprentice, Bonepaw, Moonpaw, Bravepaw, and Driftpaw each; she still felt the most comfortable with Moonpaw, and she prayed to Starclan that's who she ended up with for her Partner. That was still an issue, though…

Splitpaw had been avoiding Glowstar's demand the whole moon. Tomorrow would be the Gathering.

She had been too scared to confess to anyone, not even Driftpaw. She still found it almost ironic how neither Bonepaw nor Moonpaw knew the internal struggle she was having.

Thinking back on it as she padded with Honeyflame, the deputy, back to camp after her hunting assessment with Bravepaw, (Which wasn't _too_ painful) Bonepaw wouldn't have such as big of an opinion as Moonpaw. Bonepaw had finally confessed his love for Driftpaw two sunrises before and although Driftpaw had insisted that they would wait until they were warriors to make anything known, Splitpaw had to wonder what they did between the end of training and when they went to sleep.

"_Well, enough about me and Bonepaw… Who do you have the feelings for?!" _

Driftpaw's question caught Splitpaw so off guard, she was now alternating between who she liked and what clan would claim her heart. It wasn't a tough decision for either of them, but for some reason not giving either proper thought seemed rushed. Like she was choosing one so the other would never come to light.

Thinking back on it, the questioning seemed so small and insignificant. She could easily see herself living happily ever after with Moonpaw, having a kit, (or not) and staying in Shadowclan.

But then, that little part of her that wouldn't let the other choice stand to the side, could picture clearly Rapidpaw and her, fighting fiercely for Riverclan, being happy together and as happy as they wished.

Kits… it still struck her as undesirable. Crystalfall, in fact, had had kits right after the last Gathering, and they were already huge, bustling around and acting so crazy she wondered if that was really how she was supposed to act as a kit?

The camp was full of hustle and bustle. The three warriors who didn't have Partners were as excited as the apprentices themselves to see if today was the day they would receive what was so important in Shadowclan.

Splitpaw was just ready to become a warrior.

It was almost unbelievable that it had been just six moons since she had been a little, abused, malnourished, skinny, weak kit with such twisted proportions about the world. Now she was… stronger. She wasn't sure if those opinions were totally fixed yet.

The snow, so daily that her short-haired self became immune to the cold that most other cats didn't have to worry about. Splitpaw really hated the winter.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the rock slope for a clan meeting!" Sharpstar's yowl rang around the clearing. The cold air carried her voice farther than Splitpaw would've thought possible, scaring birds off of nearby trees, causing the air to become clouded with small swarms of crowing and squawking.

When the air was finally quiet again, she and the others had gathered in front of Sharpstar who was standing slightly above them on the slope. Looking down on them with her green eyes, she narrowed them onto her. Splitpaw knew that Sharpstar wasn't happy with her indecision on Glowstar's request, but she knew better than to interfere.

"Today is my favorite part about being a leader; today I reward these apprentices, who worked their hardest to become Shadowclan's next generation of strong, powerful warriors.

"Driftpaw," Sharpstar called, and the lithe grey she-cat stepped up excitedly to her paws as the rest of them stepped back.

"You have shown incredible progress since you have become an apprentice; Shadowclan is proud to welcome you with the name of Driftswipe."

Nodding, Driftswipe stepped back into line, grinning and purring as they congratulated her, yowling her name into the cold air.

"Bravepaw. You have been quite the talker, haven't you?" Sharpstar let out a small smile as the cats gathered around chuckled. Bravepaw let out a nervous laugh.

"But, regardless, you are an exceptional hunter, and Shadowclan welcomes you as Braveglare."

After the congratulations was repeated, it was her turn. Her heart beat with anticipation.

"Splitpaw. You have had a very difficult kithood, but you have not let that hinder your ability to be your best. Shadowclan welcomes you with the name of Splitrain."

She let out a rueful smile, sharing with Sharpstar in the ironic name that she was innocently given.

She could settle for Splitrain.

"Moonpaw. You have become one of our strongest fighters. Shadowclan welcomes you as Moongaze."

"Bonepaw. You are one of our best trackers. You are welcomed into Shadowclan as Bonerun."

"Driftswipe! Braveglare! Splitrain! Moongaze! Bonerun!" the cats of Shadowclan called their names out to the setting sun that was just barely visible through the grey clouds of leaf-bare.

"Now, Partnership is the biggest part about Shadowclan; it is the key to our success. We hunt together, fight together, work together, and care for each other. That is what makes us who we are. Now, I have discussed this with Honeyflame and all of the mentors involved, and here are your final Partners."

Sharpstar seemed to relish the few slow heartbeats of anticipation at her words to come.

"Bonerun and Moongaze, you will be Partners. Driftswipe and Splitrain, you will be Paired together. Lastly, Braveglare and Darkpelt, you are now Partners. May Starclan bless you all."

The final congratulations flew up into the dark sky as they all escaped into the warmth of the dens. Splitrain, followed by an eager Driftswipe, padded over to the fresh-kill pile for a much-need meal after the assessments the day had held.

Driftswipe, huh? Not what she had been expecting, and from the grey warrior's eyes, neither was she. _Sharpstar made the Paring because we work best together_, she reminded herself, but she couldn't help but to be slightly disappointed.

The rest of her waking moments she spent with the other warriors, joking about their names before they had to hold the vigil that night. They were all satisfied with their names, as far as Splitrain could tell, but the way Moongaze looked at her with remorse made her rethink that theory.

"Your name is beautiful," he whispered as he passed, not turning his head as she opened her jaws to answer.

What, Splitrain wondered, would he think if she told him that she had been seeing Rapidpaw in secret, she wondered?

**YES! I DID IT! ANOTHER STOREH WHERE MY BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FICTIONAL KITS HAVE BECOME WARRIORS! Yay! XD**

**Question of the day: Why do you think that Splitpaw-ERR SplitRAIN has been seeing Rapidpaw? Where? **

**Till next time, **

**EmberFall**


	28. Come Back

**Thanks for all of those names for my new story! (it'll come out when this one is done… I think there is about 10-15 chapters left in this one?)**

**Anyways, thanks for the support, I don't own Warriors, (Erin Hunter does, who else?) blah bee boo blah**

**N'Joy~**

Yes, Splitrain had been pretty stupid to fall for Rapidpaw's… charmspeak. He had drawn her into following him to the border they shared and talking until the sun was visible on the tips of the treetops. She had tried to stop, tried to tell him that she wanted to stop meeting him, but her attempts were half-hearted, and Rapidpaw knew it. _'Please, don't go, Splitpaw! It's just a meeting, and you're half Riverclan anyways… how much trouble could you get into?'_

Well tonight she would end it, she thought as snow slowly collected on her still form; the night was determined to turn her to ice before she could see the sun as a warrior. Driftswipe beside her shivered, her huffs clouding in her face and making her breathe even more. Moongaze, the farthest away from Splitrain, was pawing the ground and growling as snow kept filling his naturally upturned ears.

The night was pitch black, the camp bleeding into shadows, so she couldn't see Sharpstar until she was right in front of them.

"It's unhealthy for you all to be out here in this weather. You can complete your vigil tomorrow night," she instructed, giving them a nod at their dumbstruck expressions and padding away back into the shadows.

Wait… what? Did Sharpstar really mean that? But that was breaking the Warrior Code! They couldn't end their vigil and take it up another night… could they? Thoughts of Rapidpaw leaked into her thoughts, how she could end things tonight so she could start the rest of her life without a secret hanging over her ears and weighting down her paws. She was determined to be the best she could be, and that couldn't be with a 'friend' with another Clan. An enemy clan, (to her) at any chance.

"Hey, Splitrain, let's go! We still have to make our nests and everything… ugh!" Driftswipe moaned and jumped around, trying to shake off snow and dreading making nests in the cold snow. Mouse-dung!

"Uh… I have a belly-ache… sorry. I'll be in the Dirtplace for a while… just sleep in our apprentice nests for tonight."

'_Please, please… don't question me!' _Splitrain prayed.

"Okay… do you need Mintbreeze to take a look at you?"

_Oh, thank Starclan!_ "Uh... I don't think so, I just have to stop eating so much, I think!"

"Okay! I hope you feel better! I'll see you in the morning!"

Nodding, Splitrain padded rather quickly to the Dirtplace, trying to hide her embarrassment. Wrinkling her nose at the offensive smells, she crept out the back and raced towards the Riverclan border, hoping that Rapidpaw hadn't given up and left.

Trees racing past her, Splitrain heard the all-too-familiar sounds of streams lazily trickling past ice and moss-covered rocks. There! Rapidpaw was standing out near the stream, lapping up water and shivering in the cold.

"Splitpaw?" he called out, all of her stress dissipating at his worried gaze.

"I-its Splitrain, now." She whispered. The cold did nothing to her voice, and he heard her loud and clear.

"Congratulations! Splitrain… that's a beautiful name!"

Her mind flashing back to Moongaze's identical compliment earlier, she nodded and looked away. She was scared about how he would react to what she had to tell him.

"So, um, Rapidpaw-"

He purred. "Nuh uh, you're not the only cat here that got their warrior name!" he grinned at her stunned expression.

"You may address me as Rapidflame."

Splitrain mocked a bow. "How long until your name is Rapidstar, then?"

He grinned. "Not long, if I can help it! Oh! I have something to ask you!"

"Uh, so do I," she muttered.

"Me first, me first! Okay, so…" Rapidflame's eyes narrowed and he stood up in front of her with a serious expression.

"Will you be my mate? Come back to Riverclan, Splitrain, I need you."

**Question of the day!: you are now Splitrain. What is your answer to Rapidflame?**

**EmberFall~**


	29. Something To Tell You

**WARNING: SHORT CHAPTER AHEAD!**

**Sory (;-;)**

"Don't worry, though;" he whispered with a smile. "Take as much time as you would like. So, what were you going to ask me?"

The cold. The moon shining overhead, mere whisker's length too short to be the Gathering's signal. The stars, twinkling, staring down at her and expecting an answer as vividly as Rapidflame. It was all too much. Was she really supposed to say what she had been planning to? After he had just asked her to be his mate?

Was it?

"Splitrain?"

Rapidflame covered the paw steps between them and pressed his warm pelt against her own.

"Are you cold?"

Splitrain took a deep breath and expelled the thoughts buzzing around in her head like gnats in the summer.

"Yes, I'm fine, it's just… never mind!" she winced at the horrible sound of her voice cracking as she tried to sound enthusiastic.

"I mean… I was just going to tell you about this huge rabbit that wandered from Windclan and straight into my paws! Look… I have to go, before I'm missed; I'll see you at the Gathering tomorrow."

Rapidflame, although worried at her confession outburst, nodded and licked her ears affectionately. "I'll see you then, Splitrain."

With a half-hearted smile that she hoped he took as reassuring smirk, she ran almost twice as fast back to the camp. She needed a plan.

And she knew exactly who she would go to.

*O*O*

"Splitrain? What's the matter?" Honeyflame held back a yawn as she questioned her.

"It's important that I talk to Sharpstar, _right now_."

She sighed. "Can this not be postponed until the morning?"

"No, Honeyflame; it can't wait."

The tired deputy gave a reluctant nod and led Splitrain into the leader's den.

It had been over six moons since she had last been in this den; the earthy smell of the black stones and the huge green leaves, not brown and curled, still held unintelligible scribbles and shapes. What was Sharpstar doing with all of these things?

The said russet leader was hunched over the leaves, forehead furrowed and tail lashing irritably.

"Sharpstar, Splitrain wishes to speak to you right away. She says it cannot wait."

The leader of Shadowclan turned her attention from the leaves to Splitrain.

"What do you need?"

Suddenly, Splitrain couldn't speak. Where had her stone resolve gone? Her defiance? Her courage?

She felt as if the fate of Starclan weighed on her shoulder blades. It made her jaw unable to open, to explain the inevitable. The obvious. The destined.

**My god, my chapters are getting shorter and shorter ;-; I'll work on that… I hope you guys are just happi I updated at all _"**

**QOTD : what do you think Splitrain is going to ask Sharpstar?**


	30. I Have A Plan

Jaws were locked with unspoken words of confession. Why had she gone over here, again? Could she not have waited until the morning? She didn't know how to start explaining.

"Splitrain? Is something the matter?" Sharpstar's concerned mew shook Splitrain's courage. What was she going to do?

_Just tell the truth, mouse-brain, _a voice in her head muttered, _and tell her about your plan._

Splitrain set her shoulders, narrowed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"I have a plan, on how we can ambush Riverclan."

The russet Shadowclan leader tensed. She saw Sharpstar's claws slide out of their sheathes just slightly.

"What do you mean, Splitrain? A plan? What nonsense are you speaking?"

"I know Riverclan has pushed us around; all of the Clans know how they've been sniffing around everyone's borders. They have been stealing prey from us, but I know with no proof you are too wise to accuse. Well, Glowstar has invited me back to Riverclan. She expects an answer tomorrow night at the Gathering. We can use this to our advantage! Maybe there is no need to attack right now, but you, I, and every other cat knows that in this lifetime there will be a battle. What better way to be prepared then to…"

She drifted off, knowing Sharpstar knew what she was going to finish with.

Chest heaving from the quiet excitement bubbling in her chest, Splitrain waited in a tangible silence. She could see the thoughts as they entered Sharpstar's mind, the leader looking thoughtful with a dark glint in her eye.

The very thought of her plan a moon ago would've been scoffed at immediately by Splitrain, and even now, knowing this idea came from her head, disturbed her the slightest bit.

_I'm doing as a Warrior should. I'm taking advantage and using the chances around me, and making sure my Clan ends out on top. The Warrior Code has nothing against this, and neither do I._

Sharpstar looked at the leaves lying around the den. She pawed them closer, and beckoned Splitrain over.

"These are paw leaves. The black rock is mark. I use these for battle strategy and planning. Can I ask you this: what will your plan accomplish? I know what you're thinking, but how will this help?"

The stars, still hovering in a cloudless night sky, seemed to peer into the den, peeking to see what might happen in the depths of these two cat's minds. What plan they were making, and if it would unravel the future as much as they were sure it would.

**Linelinelinelinelineline**

Paw steps silent, breathing clouding in the air above them, the light of a full moon glaring frigidly down on the small pack of cats huddled around each other behind the shadow of a huge oak. Stars glitter down distantly, and a little ways away hundreds of cats speak and share tongues, completely unaware.

Hunched backs against the wind, the small groups whispers heatedly and hisses. But eventually this, too, falls silent. There is an agreement. Three leaders bow their heads and wish luck to a small warrior.

Parting their separate ways, each calls a loud yowl into the cold night. Four groups of cats quiet down. Tails wrapped around paws, they each declare one piece of news or another. The third one speaks to the fourth loudly, for every cat to hear.

Several gasps from one group, along with a couple of hisses. Another group exchanges a series of smirks and dark, conceited chuckles. Two others look around them, confused.

From the gasping crowd one cat steps forward and bows her head to the four up in the trees. Grumbles are heard throughout the clearing, some angry yowls calling out offensive names to this particular cat, as she leaves the group and becomes swallowed by the other.

Scandalous looks are shared. Whispers arise, but upon the trees three stay stoic, one gleeful. three secretly dreading what is to come, one partially surprised.

The groups disband. One has to drag away a couple who are yowling angrily at the cat who had joined the other group. A tom and a she-cat. The tom is broken, the she-cat hurt; both furious. Two more toms stand nearby, looking lost.

The she-cat that is now surrounded by cats smelling of fish and reeds takes the angry glares and remarks to heart with a mask of indifference. Her eyes are hurt, but she masks the eyes brimming with unshed, uncertain tears behind a cloud of cold breath that the weather makes. She backs away slowly, and fights the urge to keen to the sky.

A grey tom places a tail over her back, guiding her forward, and sends a frosty look at all other cats. They create a small circle around them, and follow a stream into the darkness.

That night, on that Gathering, Starclan its 'self was split in two. Half wanted to do one thing. Others another. Both were right and wrong. The past was in stone, but the future, after this night, was sure to change more times than any could count.

Only three smiles emerged that night from the cold. One hateful, one excited, and one was certainly

Not

Good.

**Qotd: your thoughts on this chapter. Your predictions for the future. Who is your least favorite cat in this story at the moment, and who is you favorite?**

**I love you all, EmberFall**


	31. Let Me Think About It

***le gasp* authur chappie?! In less than four days?! *le bow* thank you, thank you ^_^~ **

**Anyways, sorry for any confusion on the last chapter, hopefully it will all be made clear in this one!**

**N'Joi!**

Memories resurfaced. A lot of them.

Rapidflame had taken her to Riverclan camp- her home, once again. The path was familiar, even though she had been just barely an apprentice when she had traveled it, and the camp was almost painfully unchanged. There were several new warriors, cats, and elders alike; Splitpaw didn't know any of them well enough to greet, and even if she did, she probably wouldn't have.

Not to her surprise, cats still shied away from her-or flinched- at first glance. A golden apprentice, new since she had called this clan her's, had actually jumped, frightened. Even though he apologized profusely afterwards, he still was wary as he followed behind to hear news from the Gathering.

Nothing was said about her returning besides _'We'll give you tomorrow to get… re-situated,' _From Dryriver, the deputy. He was a pale tan, with bland eyes and an even blander personality, from what she could gather.

It still struck her how much the camp, cats, and territory hadn't changed. Dens, the little clearing where apprentices trained, the atmosphere… it was all startling; that was, until she had grabbed a fish from the pile.

The smell repulsed her. The sight made her sick to the stomach. Had the fish in her mouth always tasted so… bitter? So slimy in her mouth, almost as if it was trying to come back to life as it slide down her throat?

"I-I'm going to go explore the territory," she excused herself, pushing the fish that she had been sharing with Rapidflame towards his paws and go up to sore paws. The grey blue tom looked up at her, squinting at the sun behind her back.

"Are you okay? Can I come, too?"

The way he said it left no room for question; he was stating that he was going with her. She didn't really mind, she was just needing to gather what Sharpstar required, then she would go back home. _Home. _Shadowclan was her home. Not Riverclan.

Rapidflame leading the way, they left the clearing crowded with morning tongue-sharing and the glances at her face. The sun was high up now, but it offered no warmth from the bitter winds blowing through the reeds. In Shadowclan the trees had always provided protection from the harsh blows of cold, but Riverclan had nothing but low-rising reeds and a couple of leafless willows.

The brush underpaw made her feel loud and clumsy. The little pebbles and sand tumbled from her pawsteps and made the worst clinking sound as they rolled to the river on their right a few tail lengths below. The nettles that littered the pine forest floor in Shadowclan masked any sound, mandatory for stalking squirrels and birds. Riverclan needed none of this; fish could not hear, or were too stupid to.

Splitrain silently mourned the fact that she would not eat another mouse, thrush, squirrel, or anything relatively warm for a while. Her tongue cringed at the thought of fish three times a day, every day.

Upon coming to the Sunning Rocks -Which were currently in Riverclan's possession- Rapidflame turned around with a teasing smirk.

"You ready to be Riverclan again? No filthy Shadowclan cat can rest on the Sunning Rocks!"

Eye twitching, Splitrain had to concentrate hard on Sharpstar and the other leader's advice that had been given to her last night. '_try and act as if you wanted to go back to Riverclan the whole time; act as if you hate them,' _as the Thunderclan leader had put it.

"Oh, you have no idea how much! Shadowclan never even saw the sun!"

"Hah! No wonder your pelt is so scruffy! It's like the opposite of mine!"

"Hey, excuse me?" starting to get into her rhythm of effortless lies, she started to enjoy herself a little bit. Sharpstar didn't expect her to work the first day back, did she?

"Get back here, or else I'll cut your pretty little face! It's been so long since I've felt fur in my claws… Shadowclan doesn't let you fight at all! Let me sharpen up my skills- on you!"

"Only if you can catch me!" with that, Rapidflame scampered off down the riverbank, kicking up stones as she chased after him.

Several minutes had passes when she felt her head throbbing. The sides of the bank were shining in the corners of her vision, and it was affecting her in the worst way.

Slowing down, Splitrain studied the sparkling material inside the rock. It shook her after a moment of confusion: it was the same material that had appeared in her nest after a scary night- the shiny things.

Rapidflame, having heard her give up, came back and peered over her shoulder.

"Oh, you don't know what that stuff is? It's called mica or something like that. I used to leave it for you in your nest, remember?"

A shaky nod is the answer he got. Her mind was whirring like a bee's wings. This was her chance!

"Hey, do you think we'll attack Shadowclan any time soon? I really want to… you know, claw some of them."

Rapidflame shot her a scheming, lazy grin.

"I don't know, it's pretty difficult to plan an attack when we don't know what their territory is like… would you happen to know anyone who does? Now that- _that_ would be helpful. Do you know such a cat?"

She forced down the sick feeling of taking about attacking Shadowclan and forced a purr through.

"Maybe, let me think about it."

***le gasp* amazing, aren't i? (jkjkjk, I know im pretty lousy, but I had the sudden inspiration to type this thing up so yeah ^^ )**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! **

**Qotd: who do you think Rapidflame's parents are? XD**

**I love you all, **

**Emberfall (yes, a rhyme ^^)**


	32. Chapter 32

**ta dah! hullo to all of my little emberbites... C: **

**so, i'm grounded. again. (only 14 here, people, gimme a break) and i am currently on my aunt's computer. *three cheers for Ember's aunt!* **

**OMG**

**i had a 500 word chapter and the computer crashed. **

**do not blame me, it's the universes fault. UGH that just puts a damper on the rest of my day! (its one in the morn here) **

**anyways: hate me, the universe, and... yeah. just have a general hate for everything and you'll be good to go C:**

**i love you all, and i hope to see you all sooner rather than later, **

**Emberfall (one of these days i'm gonna sign my acutal name and im just going to be like**

**well**

**fuq. FUQ IT ALL (rated PG 13)**


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